Hero and a Priestess
by rabid wolf demon
Summary: The two most charismatic young leaders of a continent engulfed in war find feelings for each other. However, they fight on opposite sides and suppress their own desires for servitude to their homelands, but selfish desires can bring about good things.
1. First Encounter

Hero and a Priestess

--

I'm just a big fan of the game and am writing a fan fiction. I am in absolutely no way connected to the production, selling, or anything else of any Fire Emblem games. With that out of the way time for my first fan fiction.

**An Ike x Miciaih fan fiction that takes place during part III: Intersecting Vows and follows a story line which I personally thought would make a lot of sense/had brewing in my mind for a while, and I'm not sure where I'm going with this thing yet.**

* * *

Limbs of corpses could be seen poking out of the shallow waters in certain areas; they belonged to both beorc and laguz alike from the battle that took place several nights before. A rancid stench emitted from the water and hung heavily in the previously clean, crisp air. The river surged around the dead, attempting to cleanse its waters of the poisonous bodies that refused to be budged.

Men clad in ebony armor rushed about frantically to take up their positions along the marshy grounds that dotted the middle of the infested river. The recently deceased were trampled by boots, driving them further and further into the mud. The soldiers ignored the rigid forms beneath their feet for the most part; several would occasionally bend over to take something of value from a fallen soldier. These soldiers were Daein's Imperial Army, and eagerly awaited their next opponent as the last few stragglers fell into place. Their morale unnaturally high for such a dismal setting, but due to their general and previous victory the scenery wasn't a problem.

The general of the Daein Army was a short silver haired girl; with a kind disposition and gentle golden-brown eyes she seemed unfit for a general. However, there is more to this girl than meets the eye. The Silver-Haired Maiden, the Priestess of Dawn, and Miciaih, are all the names by which she is referred to. She posses the ability of far sight, can sacrifice her own energy to heal someone else, and is a well accomplished user of the light magic arts. Miciaih would be a very problematic foe for any normal enemy, but her opponents were far from the ordinary. She faced an enemy that crushed her homeland three years prior during the Mad King's War. They would put Daein's new found strength to a fierce and bitter test.

Squad leaders barked orders to their men as wyverns took wing over the rushing waters of the river. The Greil Mercinaries, Crimea's elite fighting force, came into view one by one. Each and every one of them a battle hardened soldier, capable of taking down groups that vastly outnumbered them. Their leader, Commander Ike, strode confidently towards the far bank of the river, pointing and giving orders as he walked. His massive sword, Ettard, had already drawn as he broke into a brisk run into the river followed by his company and several laguz.

"Sothe," Micaiah began uncertainty evident in her voice. "Could you tell me more about Ike?"

Sothe simply stared at her with eyes wide, his jaw moving but no words came out. He regained some of his composure and replied with "I thought you didn't like me talking about Commander Ike to you," a slight tone of jealousy hidden in his tone.

Micaiah knew Sothe too well and was able to pick up on even his slightest change of voice. She hurriedly explained that it was only to better understand her enemy. Convinced with her answer Sothe relayed to her everything that he knew about Ike from when they fought together three years prior. The information Micaiah had once regarded as useless and annoying, washed over her flooding her body with dread.

"He is nothing like Pelleas," she muttered more to herself then anyone.

"They don't even compare! Pelleas lacks any leadership skills whatsoever!" Sothe ranted on about more of the new king's short comings.

"He wants what's best for Daein, I can feel it."

Micaiah's response was a feeble defense at best and there was no conviction or heart in her voice. Sothe merely brought up Daein's involvement in Begnion's war with the laguz, and how they shouldn't even be fighting. His words screamed through her flesh, tearing apart her very being, before burring themselves deep within her mind, taunting her position as general.

"Show me how you've improved in these past years, son of Gawain," the Black Knight muttered to himself near the silver haired general. Micaiah watched as one of Daein's former Four Riders strode towards his position on the battlefield. How could that man move so easily under so much armor?

"The Greil Mercenaries really are here," Zihark shouted out from across the river. "Sorry, but I've got to turn back for now."

Zihark rushed past the commanders at the rear, blood flowing freely from numerous wounds and an arrow protruded forth from his left shoulder. Micaiah returned her attention to the advancing enemy. Astonished she was that they had already brushed aside half of her forces and were relatively unharmed. The dying gasps of soldiers sounded to the western side of the river. Jill could be seen hovering nearby, watching as an unknown man wreaked havoc amongst those on that small spot of land.

All sounds of fighting stopped save for that of two warriors. The Black Knight was locked in a fierce duel with Ike, and they appeared to be very evenly matched. Cheering from both sides could be heard as each swordsman exchanged blow after blow. Bit by bit, Ike started to advance on the Black Knight pushing him towards the deeper part of the river. That's when Ike's foot landed on a muddy hole, sending him stumbling forward. Not wasting an opportunity, the Black Knight struck with deadly accuracy. Alondite pierced through Ike's shoulder armor as if it were a piece of rice paper, and continued on through his left shoulder. Ike's face contorted as the agonizing pain washed over him.

The shoulder blade had been split by the sword, but it could be easily corrected by magic. However, the Black Knight wasn't finished with Ike's shoulder quite yet. He twisted Alondite, his actions were accompanied with the sickening sound of shattering bone. Ike's face was void of all color, his eyes empty and hollow. Victorious cries were shouted by all the on looking Daein soldiers. The knight pulled his blade from his opponents destroyed shoulder, and delivered a vicious kick to one of his legs. Ike is sent sprawling face forward onto the soft, muddy earth. The Black Knight towered over him in triumph.

"Are you done yet, Son of Gawain?" the knight asked with no emotion in his voice.

"Fuck off," Ike gasped, followed by him coughing up spurts of blood and saliva. "I won't die so easily."

Ike rolled off to his left as Alondite split the ground where he was a fraction of a second ago. The cheering on Daein's side quieted down several degrees, as Ike pushed himself onto his feet.

"That is amazing," Micaiah breathed her voice barely above a whisper. "Why doesn't he die?"

"That's Ike for you," Sothe replied.

She turned to face her green haired protector, a look of utter terror filled her eyes as she realized for the first time how powerful Ike truly was. Micaiah watched as Ike told his companions to leave him alone, and let him finish his fight without any interference. His shoulder was a complete bloody mess and it looked like the leg that the Black Knight kicked was broken. Despite these fatal injuries, Ike could still fight on.

'_He's just invincible. He can't die for some reason_,' was all Micaiah could think of as Ike continued to fight off Daein's strongest general.

The fight raged on, and Ike seemed to be getting stronger as the fight progressed. He was once again forcing the Black Knight to shy away from his ruthless attacks. Then it happened, Ike slipped past the Black Knight's defenses and stabbed him in one of the cracks in his ebony armor. Ike slashed his sword downward along the crack, widening the wound before pulling Ettard out again. Ike followed up with two quick strikes designed not to actually strike his opponent, but rather to knock him off balance. With the knight off balance, Ike moved in to finish his most hated foe. He delivered a blow of unnatural force from the Black Knight's left shoulder down towards his right hip, leaving a bleeding 'X' in the knight's armor. Daein's former rider, the most powerful general of the Mad King's War, the Black Knight, fell to his knees. Utterly defeated.

"Now you finally die, you murdering piece of shit," Ike spat as he raised Ettard high above his head. "Good-bye and good riddance."

"No!" Micaiah shouted as Ettard began its descent towards the head of the Black Knight.

Ike's sword never made contact with anything but the ground where the knight had been. The Black Knight had vanished in a flash of light, fleeing the field of battle and abandoning the Daein army. Ike roared in rage, as his enemy had evaded death for a second time. Three people wielding staves rushed to Ike's side; one a girl with chestnut hair and blue eyes, the second a man in white robes, and the third a thin man with a red mark on his forehead. The three of them immediately enveloped Ike in a faint glow of blue light as they treated his wounds.

A large man with huge muscles and green hair stepped forth to take Ike's spot at the front. He wielded a huge ax as if it were light as a stick. This man slew two knights with ease, and for the first time the Greil Mercenaries stepped foot on the other side of the river. Edward rushed forward, Caladbolg already drawn and at the ready. Micaiah heard Laura shout a warning to the boy as he rushed into the fray, but he still believed himself to be invincible. He engaged with a girl that possessed purple hair and big green eyes.

The other mercenaries rushed past the dueling pair of sword fighters, and toward Micaiah and the remaining Daein's. Edward matched each of the girl's blows, their speed was equal, but both had something that the other did not possess. Edward was much stronger; however this girl clearly had a lot more combat experience. Her technique was eventually what allowed her to overcome Edward. She slipped her curved Wo Dao blade past Edward's sword, and drove it deep within his chest. The blade dripped with rubies as it protruded from Edward's back.

"Edward! No!" Laura screamed as said person stumbled backward and fell into the deeper waters of the river.

Laura rushed to Edward's aid, her staff in hand. However, to get to Edward she would need to get through almost every single member of the Greil Mercenaries and several laguz. Still, Laura charged into the fray, ignoring the fact that it was suicide for someone like her to do so. The green haired man saw her running in his direction and readied his ax. He noticed something wasn't quiet right though and turned to see a fallen Edward thrashing in the water, trying to keep his head above the surface. The man let Laura pass without confrontation.

"It's over Micaiah," Sothe muttered. "Without the Black Knight here to stop Ike, he will destroy us without much effort."

"But Sothe-" Micaiah began, however Sothe cut her off.

"Remember how I said that if things got too hot…" he never got to finish as an arrow pierced him through the chest.

"Sothe!" Micaiah screamed.

"Sorry little Sothe, but you know that it's nothing personal. Just doing my job," said a man with red hair pulled back in a pony tail.

"Damn you Shinon," Sothe hissed through gritted teeth.

"Watch that mouth of yours boy," the man named Shinon warned. "It's no coincidence that you're still breathing. In case you've forgotten, I never miss my target. I spared your life on purpose. However, if you keep this up I might just silence you for good."

Micaiah scanned the field to see who was alive, and among those, who could still fight. It slowly dawned on her as her eyes darted from one dead or severely Daein to another, that she was all that was left.

'_I'm the only one left_,' she thought as feared gripped her, choking away her breath.

Ike strode toward her; his wounds had been completely healed. Micaiah began to mumble words in the Ancient Language, summoning her favorite spell that she learned in her Thani spell book. In her fear and the fact that she was rushing, she failed to pronounce every word correctly. The spell lacked any power whatsoever, and Ike was able to brush it aside with no effort at all.

Micaiah closed her eyes as Ike closed the distance between them. At least she had tried her best to stop the Laguz Alliance, but the Greil Mercenaries proved to be far too powerful. She was ready to die, the thought didn't even scare her; death was inevitable, she couldn't beat Ike or any of them for that matter. However, no fatal blow was dealt to her. Slowly Micaiah cracked open one eye to take a peak as to the reason she was still breathing.

Ike's leather jerkin was all she could see; the rest of him loomed ominously overhead. He was a lot taller up close then at a distance, but Micaiah isn't exactly the tallest person either. She had to take a few steps back and tilt her head back just to see his face.

A blush tinted her cheeks as she took in the stature of the man before her. '_He's very handsome_' she thought. A look of dread filled her features when she realized what she was thinking. '_No! No! No! That is wrong! He is my enemy! Focus Micaiah! Stay focused and don't look at him!_' she screamed mentally, chastising herself. Her eyes dashed anywhere and everywhere, as long as they weren't on _him_.

"Surrender and allow us to pass or we will slaughter every last one of you," Ike spoke evenly and without emotion.

Despite that, his voice still sent shivers throughout her body. The feeling was alien and only made her blush deeper. Micaiah hung her head in order to hide it from the mercenaries before her, but Ike had clearly caught site of to color on her face. He let out a small chuckle before repeating his earlier statement, this time with more kindness and no threat. Micaiah only nodded her head and signaled for them to pass.

"Priestess!" a Daein soldier shouted as he came running from the direction of the camp. "The sub-humans are attacking us from behind! What are-" he stopped as he saw the enemy soldiers before him. "Get away from her!" he warned, lowering his lance and charging at Ike.

Ike threw Ettard into the ground as the soldier charged him. He reached out and grabbed the shaft of the lance as the soldier stabbed at him. Ike twisted the lance out of the soldier's hand and broke it over his knee.

"Please stop," Micaiah pleaded with the soldier as he drew a dagger from his belt. He turned to look at her in shock. "Order our troops to stand down and let these soldiers trough," she motioned toward the Greil Mercenaries behind her. "We shall tend to the wounded and return to Daein. Quickly soldier, go tell the others. The longer you tarry here, the more casualties we suffer."

The man turned and sprinted back the way he'd come from. Micaiah watched him leave before sighing and returning her attention to Ike.

"You were nothing more than a diversion?" it was more of a statement then anything else. Ike merely nodded in response.

Ike ordered his troops to move out before addressing Micaiah again. "You should get your friends fixed up. It's difficult to lose someone close to you, especially someone like him," Ike pointed to Sothe unconscious from blood loss.

"Sorry Micaiah," Jill muttered to the silver-haired girl as she passed by.

Micaiah glanced up to see one of her best friends leaving her for the enemy. Strangly, Micaiah didn't feel angry with the girl for deserting Daein for the enemy. No. As Jill flew up to the one eyed wyvern rider she had been talking to on the battlefield, Micaiah fully understood what was happening. Jill probably loved that man. It was a bitter sweet revalation. On one hand her friend was following her heart, and on the other she would be fighting against Daein. Nothing to do now but return to Nevasa and report the results of this battle to King Pelleas.

That was the first encounter Micaiah had with the famed 'General Ike' and she was very lucky to escape with the lives of her friends as well as her own. She bent over Sothe's collapsed frame and began to heal his wounds, mulling over everything that just happened. One thing was certain, her and Ike would cross paths again, and she could see him in her future. Whether it was good or bad though, she couldn't tell yet. All Micaiah could see was his tall, muscular figure smirking down at her. There were so many feelings and events jammed together. Let life pan out how it wishes, and take things as they come be they for better or worse.

**

* * *

**

Hah! I finally had some time to write this thing. I've had this idea in my head ever since I played RD for the first time. Wait to see what I've got in store for you later, this is just an introduction. Any type of comment is appreciated. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. It might be a while before chapter 2 is up. I've got football, school, and physical therapy for an injury I received a few weeks back. Wish me luck.


	2. Returning to Daein

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

**

I can't believe that I got time to work on this thing so soon. Good for you right. Anyways, this one will focus on Micaiah's return trip to Daein.

**I didn't have any part in the creating, publishing, etc. (you get the idea) of Fire Emblem, I'm just a fan.**

* * *

The tattered and defeated remnants of the Daein army trudged their way over the Begnion border and back into their home land. The entire trip had gone by in eerie silence; the low moral of the troops even silenced the surrounding wildlife. All were disheartened by their crushing defeat while fighting the Greil Mercenaries. How so few soldiers could have brushed aside several battalions of Daein's finest men with relative ease, was beyond anyone's guess.

"Micaiah," Sothe began, "Ike let us off easy. You know that don't you? If he had wanted to, he could he crushed every single one of our men."

Micaiah didn't even acknowledge Sothe's demoralizing comment; instead she turned her head and tried to focus on something else. The very mention of Ike's name sent shivers of fear along her spine and out to the tips of her fingers, but it also brought something else. What was it about him that made her feel this inexplicable emotion and what is this emotion? She continued to contemplate her puzzle, forgetting the rest of the world.

"Hello! Earth to Micaiah," Sothe said waving a hand in front of her face.

"What!" Micaiah snapped back, annoyed that he had disrupted her train of thought. "I was thinking, alright?"

"About?"

"N-nothing important," she stammered, not wanting to reveal her true thoughts.

Sothe grabbed Micaiah's shoulder and brought her about to face him. The troops marching behind them took this as a sign that they were to stop as well. With an agitated wave of his hand and a few glares, Sothe got the army moving again.

"No secrets," he stated clearly and flatly, he was determined to get an answer from Micaiah.

Micaiah shifted uncomfortably as Sothe's eyes bore into her. Sothe couldn't read minds, but Micaiah still felt like he could when he stared at her so intensely.

"What were you thinking about?" Sothe asked slowly and made sure to emphasize every word so that Micaiah would hear him clearly.

Micaiah tried to squirm her way out of his grasp on her shoulders, but it only succeeded in him tightening his grip. She pulled at the edge of her skirt, while attempting to answer Sothe's question without actually answering it.

"Well?" he asked after she didn't respond for a while.

"It's… I don't know. It's complicated, and I can't really say what I'm feeling."

'_Aggggghhhhh! That isn't what I wanted to say. Now he's going to force me to spill everything_,' Micaiah screamed mentally.

"Oh, is that so?" Sothe questioned, pushing the subject further.

Micaiah tried again to break away from Sothe, but once again he managed to hold her firmly in place. His gaze intensified as she continued to struggle against him.

"I'm not going to let go until you truthfully answer every single one of my questions," Sothe warned, hoping Micaiah would stop resisting him. She stopped and looked at her feet. "Good. Now, what is troubling you so badly that you don't even want to tell me? Does it have anything to do with the fall of the Black Knight and Ike's role in it?"

Micaiah fidgeted at the mention of Ike's name, again. Sothe picked up on her behavior immediately.

"Well, which is it then?" He inquired. "Is it the Black Knight abandoning us to save his own life or is it something to do with Ike? And I want nothing but the honest truth."

"I, um, well," Micaiah stammered, blood rising to her face with each passing second. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and attempted to explain her thoughts to Sothe. Nothing would come out of her mouth, despite her best efforts, Micaiah's body refused to talk about Ike.

"Are you going to say something?" Sothe asked, raising an eyebrow as he watched Micaiah struggle with her own body.

"Sothe!" Nolan snapped as he approached the two youths, his left arm in a blood soaked sling. "That is no way to treat a young lady, and besides, if you hadn't noticed the entire army is watching your little spat," Nolan gestured to the troops assembled around them.

Sothe released his hold on Micaiah's body, and instead focused on getting the troops moving again. Micaiah, on the other hand, took this opportunity to escape from her aggressive protector, and hid amongst the ranks of ebony clad soldiers. She would need to confront Sothe sooner or later, but not quite yet.

"Well now," Nolan started as the army got moving again. "Mind telling why you were harassing poor, defenseless Micaiah like that?"

"I wasn't harassing her," Sothe spat back.

Nolan merely raised an eyebrow at the fuming youth before him. Sothe shifted his stance slightly and glared back into Nolan's eyes. The two remained locked in their silent battle of wills, until Laura approached; her arms around a limping Edward. Laura looked from Nolan then to Sothe, giving each of them a curious look.

"What's wrong with the two of you?" Laura finally asked.

Sothe snapped his head around to face the young cleric, venom evident in his eyes. His fists were clenched tightly and he was grinding his teeth in frustration.

"Micaiah is acting weird, and she won't tell me why," Sothe finally growled.

"Do you think that it may be something you did?" Laura questioned him.

"More like him being overprotective, and never allowing the poor girl any freedom," Nolan said before Sothe had a chance to answer Laura's question.

Sothe exploded at this comment. He was so livid, his anger was palpable. Sothe couldn't decide what he wanted to do to express his anger, so his body did everything it could for him. He stomped his feet, threw his hands in the air, and screamed until he needed to breathe again. When Sothe was finished, his shoulders were heaving, Nolan and Laura had backed a few steps away during his outburst.

"Laura," Edward croaked, tugging slightly at her sleeve. "I think I'm bleeding."

"Oh no, you tore open your wounds again! Hang on Edward; I need to go get my staff from the supply caravan."

With that, Laura ushered Edward away leaving Nolan and Sothe alone again. Sothe had calmed down slightly since he vented some his pent up rage. Nolan stroked his beard a few times with his good hand, waiting for Sothe to speak first.

"We are going to get left behind if we don't hurry," Sothe mumbled.

"Hah! That is the first sensible thing that you've said or done today," Nolan replied.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

The Daein army had stopped for the night and made camp, they had officially returned to Daein. Micaiah had managed to evade Sothe for the entire length of the days march. However, in the camp she could be easily corned by the rouge. To avoid this unwanted confrontation with Sothe, Micaiah did whatever she could to stay as busy as possible. She did everything from tending to the wounded to helping prepare the food for the army.

"Micaiah!" growled very agitated rouge.

"Sorry Sothe, but I am very busy at the moment. Please don't bother me right now," Micaiah answered as she hastened away to the medical tent with her staff in hand.

Sothe blocked her path and dragged her into a nearby supply tent. The tent was dimly by a single oil lantern with a small flickering orange flame. The whole tent smelt of dried herbs and medicines of various assortments. Sothe sat Micaiah down on the nearest crate on ground level and he stationed himself between her and the exit.

"Now that you've had almost an entire day to collect your thoughts, do you mind telling me what is bothering you?" Sothe asked exhaustion and irritation clearly evident in his voice.

Micaiah began to gnaw on her lower lip, her hands wringing anything within reach. She squirmed around for a little, never once did she look up at Sothe.

"It's Ike," she squeaked in a voice that was almost inaudible.

"Mind saying that once more, but this time louder?" Sothe leaned in closer as he spoke.

"IKE!" Micaiah nearly screamed at Sothe. "It's Ike that has been on my mind all day! Don't ask me to explain what I was thinking about because I don't even know! And my thoughts were not of romance of any type!" she blushed as the last sentence slipped past her lips.

Sothe staggered backwards, startled by Micaiah's unexpected rant. For the second time in two day, Sothe was left unable to speak. Instead he abruptly turned on his heel and marched out of the tent.

'_Well that was poorly handled_,' Micaiah thought as she too stood up and exited. '_I'll need to apologize to him later_.'

Micaiah headed towards the medical tent, intending to return to the duty she had been pulled away from. As Micaiah pulled back the tent flap and entered, she saw something that she had not quite expected to see. There was Laura and Edward, which was in no way unusual. However, what surprised her was the close proximity of their faces as they simultaneously moved into a brief kiss. Laura then pulled back, and with a satisfied smile upon her lips, continued to tend to the other wounded soldiers. Micaiah remained rooted in the entrance, her brain trying desperately attempting to process what she had just witnessed.

"In or out Micaiah, choose one but don't stand there like a statue and block the entrance," a gruff voice sounded behind the silver haired girl causing her to jump slightly.

"Ah, Nolan," Micaiah said spinning about to face him.

As she turned to Nolan, her staff struck him in his injured arm. Nolan jumped back, cradling his arm near his chest. Micaiah began to apologize as quickly as she could, saying how terribly sorry she was and that she never meant to strike him, especially not in his injured arm. Nolan signaled for her to stop after he had recovered slightly, his face was slightly red from the agonizing pain he had just experienced. Shaking his head, Nolan brushed past Micaiah, and entered the medical tent. Micaiah entered behind him, staff still clutched in her hand.

Micaiah walked over to a very flustered nurse attending to an unusually young Daein soldier who was missing an eye as well as part of his left arm. Micaiah as the soldier pleaded for the nurse to ease his pain, pulling at her dress as he did so. The nurse pulled her dress out of the soldier's grasp, partially dragging him out of his cot.

"There are men who have more life threatening injuries than you do!" the nurse snapped at the soldier.

"Save me! Oh please someone save me!" a man began shouting from the far side of the tent. "I can't see, I can't see! I don't want to die! Save me!"

Micaiah rushed towards the shouts, hoping she could save this man's life before he passed into the void. What she saw greatly disturbed her. The man before her was one who had saved her life once during Daein's liberation earlier in the year. He was thrashing about on his cot, tearing his once closed wounds wide open. Everything within a three foot radius was being doused by a spray of crimson. The soldier's intestines slowly began to slide out of an ever widening gash across his stomach.

"Calm down, sir!" one nurse shouted as she tried to restrain one of the men's flailing limbs. "If you don't stop this, you'll tear yourself apart!"

Several priests who were also on duty rushed to help restrain the soldier. The man lashed out at each and every one of them with surprising ferocity and strength. His hand shot forward and closed around the clasp that kept Micaiah's cape on her shoulders, and pulled it back towards him. Micaiah involuntarily was brought along with her clasp. She was mere inches away from the man's face; every emotion could be seen clearly at this distance. The absolute terror, like that of a cornered animal, was all that was present in the man's eyes; eyes that were losing the shine of life, and were instead being replaced with the empty pits of death.

"Maiden? Is that you?" the soldier whispered.

Micaiah froze where she was, unsure and very scared. How did he know that it was her when he could not see? The soldier's hand, stained from his own blood, stroked Micaiah's cheek leaving a streak of red. She shivered at the warm, moist feeling of blood against her skin. She desperately wanted to flee the scene, or a least get away from this man. She couldn't leave, her limbs would not move.

"I'm so happy you're still alive," the soldier muttered his voice beginning to fail him. "I don't know what Daein-"

He never finished. Micaiah's breath choked in her throat and tears threatened to fall from her eyes. The man's hands slowly began to slip away from their place on Micaiah's face and clasp. She watched as they fell, limp and lifeless, towards the earthen floor of the medical tent. Micaiah backed away inch by inch, as two men came forward to collect the dead man's body.

The remainder of her chores passed by in an unusual haze, Micaiah felt as if her body acted on its own. She gladly welcomed the comforting sight of her tent. Thoughts of rest filled her mind. However, several members of the original Dawn Brigade were waiting to greet her. These people were Sothe, Nolan, and Leonardo who had suffered a crushed rib cage during their fight at the Ribahn River. Volug too was present in Micaiah's tent, as always, shifting back into his humanoid form as she entered.

"Why do I have this feeling that this isn't just going to be a friendly little chat between us," Micaiah sighed as she collapsed on her cot.

Each person stared at each other in turn, except Volug who had no interest in the matter to begin with. Slowly, each of the three began to voice their concerns with Micaiah's behavior since the battle against Ike and the Greil Mercenaries. How she was always unfocused, easily startled, or constantly fidgeting with her skirt. As each of her friends spoke, Micaiah began chewing on her lower lip.

"And now lets add that one onto the list too," Nolan said pointing at Micaiah's mouth. "I've never seen you do that before."

"We're all just concerned for you. That's all," Leonardo reassured her.

A small flash of light off in the corner of the tent caught everyone's attention. Volug had shifted back into his wolf form. A guard entered mere seconds later to give a report for the day's events. Micaiah attended to the matter half-heartedly before dismissing the soldier. Volug turned his head towards the entrance, one of his purple eyes lazily watching the soldier leave. When the man was gone Volug shifted back again.

"I'm tired and wish to get some rest tonight," Micaiah explained exhaustion clearly evident in her voice. "I will explain everything once we return to the Daein Keep and when I too have understood what is bothering me."

The three didn't like her response, but decided that they wouldn't get anything else out of her. Each gave her one last lingering glance before heading out. Micaiah flopped down onto her cot, which was far closer to a bed then an actual cot, letting exhaustion overtake her body. Sleep slowly began creeping its way into her body, until someone entered her tent. With a moan of agitation, Micaiah sat up to see who had disrupted her sleep. There stood Nolan, a very stern expression set in his face.

"You may not have come to terms with it yet, but I know exactly what is going on with you," Nolan said before Micaiah could open her mouth. "I was young once, well younger. I have seen and experienced all of the obvious signs that you are showing. It is an innocent crush that, under any other circumstances, could blossom into a beautiful relationship. However, that is not the case and Ike is your enemy. Don't let your unchecked emotions distract you from your duties as general of this army."

Micaiah sat in stunned silence, in part trying to comprehend what Nolan had just said. The other part of her understood every word completely. Nolan slipped out of Micaiah's tent; she listened as his footsteps faded into the distance. His words of warning still rang clearly in her skull.

Micaiah let out a frustrated sigh as she lay back down again, pulling her one blanket over her head. Volug lifted his head to see what all the fuss was about but returned to sleep when he saw the covered form of Micaiah. Throwing the blanket off of her face, Micaiah tried to clear her head and get to sleep. In spite of her best efforts, her mind raced to and fro. All thoughts relating to the hero of Crimea's liberation, the famed 'General Ike', commander of the Greil Mercenaries, and Sothe's biggest role model; until now at least.

"Looks like it's going to be a sleepless night for me, Volug," Micaiah sighed as she turned onto her side.

Volug merely twitched one of his ears in response. Beorc always make such big deals about some of the simplest things. The wolf laguz returned back to his very pleasant dream, the one where he chased that slimy advisor up a tree. A smug grin tugged at the laguz's features as he sunk his teeth into that vile man's scrawny back-side.

**

* * *

**

Hmmm. Not exactly what I had hoped to get out of this chapter, but this one was by far better then some of the other nonsense I was throwing out this entire week. I rewrote this thing about four times, sometimes deleting up to three pages in one fell swoop. I wanted to accomplish a lot and establish the EdxLaura pairing, but at the same time keep the chapter within reason. In the end, I think I'm going to split this thing into two parts. I plan to make the next one better. By the way, the next one follows Ike's story. I get Monday off, so chapter three could be up very soon.


	3. Laguz Alliance and the Kauku Caves

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

**

I'm back! Did anyone miss me much? Anyways, this chapter follows Ike and the Laguz Alliance as they make their escape back to Gallia. Takes place right after the battle at the Ribahn River and is on a parallel timeline with the previous chapter

_Returning to Daein_**. Enjoy chapter three!**

**By the way, I still have no connections with Fire Emblem, and yes, I'm still just a fan.**

* * *

"For fuck's sake, Mist!" Ike roared as searing pain jolted all of the nerves in his shoulder. "That really hurts!"

"Well, I'm sorry Ike," Mist shot back with overly dramatic sarcasm in her voice. "But we only stopped the bleeding in your shoulder and barely managed to stabilize your left leg so you could walk without collapsing!" Mist's voice began to rise in agitation. "You should have let us heal your wounds completely! You should have been content with beating the Black Knight for a second time! But no, you had to play the tough guy and go show off in front of a pretty girl. Didn't you?"

"You're making me sound like Gatrie," Ike grumbled. "I'm not some womanizing moron whose strength far outstrips their intelligence."

"I never said that, Ike," Mist explained calming down slightly. "However, getting you back to full strength will take more time and will be a lot more painful for you. Because now we have to cut open your shoulder again, remove any bits of splintered bone, set your shoulder correctly, and heal the whole thing back up. And don't even get me started on the complex process of repairing ripped ligaments and disconnected joints, which is an even more complicated situation then your shoulder."

"Fine," Ike sighed. "Just hurry and get it over with as quickly as possible."

"Well I'm not going to do this thing on my own silly," Mist giggled. "I was just here to examine your shoulder and explain what we are going to do to you. I still need to go get Rhys and Soren before any healing begins," Mist paused to think for a second. "Actually, Ilyana recently learned how to use staves, so she could be of some assistance; although this would be more of a learning experience for her than anything else."

"Just hurry and round everyone up," Ike moaned as his shoulder protested when he attempted to lie back down on his cot in the medical tent. "I want to get back out there as soon as possible."

"Wow," Mist said a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "You really can be such a baby at times."

"Complaining about a shattered shoulder and torn ligaments isn't being a baby!" Ike shouted after his sister as she ran to fetch the other healers. Several laguz lifted their heads to see who Ike was yelling at.

Ike sighed as he heard Skrimir fighting with several of the doctors, who were trying to stitch a bleeding wound in the lion's side. However, the stubborn laguz refused them and continuously attempted to leave and return to his training. Letting out a savage roar, Skrimir allowed himself to be stitched and bandaged.

The other attendants in the tent all groaned as they received attention for their wounds. Surprisingly, the beast tribe felt such pride that many of them denied the fact that they were mortally wounded. Ike watched as a group of tiger laguz attempted to leave, but were forced back to their cots before they could go anywhere. Ike looked around, trying to obtain a grasp on the situation of some of the wounded. For the most part, the injured laguz suffered only flesh wounds. However, there were many that also lost limbs, eyes, bits of tails, and had teeth knocked out. Ike glanced at the laguz who occupied the cot next to him. He could figure out if the laguz was a cat or a tiger, he was so badly mutilated. The laguz on Ike's other side was in considerably better shape. He was a cat laguz who had been struck by a thunder spell and only suffered some burns on his shoulders and back.

"Ike, we're here," Mist said with a large goofy grin on her face.

Ike studied her, attempting to figure out why she seemed so happy. Did she like seeing him in pain? No, that's absolutely ridiculous. He continued to survey her until his eyes landed on a brand new recover staff clutched in her hands.

"Mist you didn't-" Ike began.

"Nope, I didn't buy this just for you. In fact I didn't buy it at all, and no I didn't steal it either," Ike gave her a puzzled look and Mist's grin now stretched from ear to ear. "It was a gift from your number one admirer, Aimee. She said '_help my precious hero to recover fully and swiftly so that he may return to me as soon as possible_,'" Mist burst into fits of laughter as Ike groaned with annoyance.

"I fail to see the hilarity of the situation," Soren commented as he walked towards the siblings with Rhys and a very agitated Ilyana in tow.

"Let us be done with this quickly," Ilyana spoke in a feeble voice. "I am missing Oscar's cooking for this."

"Unfortunately for you, Ilyana, this process will take approximately two hours," Rhys explained. Ilyana simply pouted and began muttering about missing out on all of Oscar's seasoned venison that was being served in the mess tent. "Now, Ike I'm sure that Mist has briefed you on what we are going to do," Ike nodded in response. "Good. Now if you would please follow me, we would begin the healing process."

Ike rose from his cot, with some assistance from both Rhys and Soren, and followed them to a row of wooden operating tables. The wood was stained a dark brown from all the blood it had absorbed in its time. Ike sat on the nearest one and waited for more of Rhys' instructions. However, all Rhys did was hand Ike a strip of leather. Ike gave the priest a puzzled look, holding up the leather.

"So you don't grind your teeth to dust or bite off your own tongue," Rhys explained as if it were common knowledge. "I would sedate you or at least give you some pain relievers, but as you can see," Rhys made a sweep of his arm at the other patients of the medical tent. "Well we ran out some time ago. Now remove your shirt and allow us to restrain you," Ike gave Rhys another questioning stare. "It's so you don't strike one of us on accident."

Mist assisted Ike in removing his shirt, and then they began to bond his limbs to the table. He was positioned on his right side so that they could easily access his entire shoulder. When Ike was fully strapped down, Mist placed the strip of leather into his mouth. Ike nearly choked, the thing tasted absolutely terrible. He desperately wanted to spit it out, but reminded himself that it was there to save his tongue and teeth. Ike looked over and saw Rhys unraveling a series of shiny operating knives of various lengths and shapes.

Soren began to examine Ike's shoulder, making occasional marks on Ike's skin to outline the operating area. Soren gave a nod to the priest, and Rhys hovered over Ike with knife poised. Ike's muscles tensed, steeling himself for the excruciating pain to come. The first wave of pain struck Ike like a charging bull. He bit into the leather and dug his nails into the wooden table. It took all of Ike's strength to remain as still as possible so he wouldn't make Rhys cut too deep or stray from the predestined path. As Rhys began to slice open more of Ike's skin, he desperately prayed that the whole procedure would be over soon.

When Rhys had finished cutting through Ike's skin, he set his knife aside and dug his fingers under the incision. Ike's entire body felt as if it were on fire. The priest began peeling back the layers of skin and muscle to revel an absolutely destroyed bone. Splintered bits of the bone were embedded in the layer of muscle Rhys had just pulled away. Mist retched and ran outside at the sight of the Ike's shoulder blade and collar bone. The shoulder had a gaping hole through the bone as well as a crack that ran the entire length of it, and the collar bone was cracked in several places. Soren and Rhys immediately set to removing every bone fragment from Ike's muscles and returning them to their proper place. Ilyana followed after Mist.

Ike fought back his tears as part two of the procedure came to a close. Every little piece of his bones had been returned to their rightful places. Ilyana returned with a very pale looking Mist, both looked at Rhys for their instructions.

"Alright," the frail priest sighed. "Now we start using magic to heal this thing up."

Each of the four picked up their respected staves and surrounded Ike in a warm glow of blue light. The pain began to ebb away almost immediately, but the feeling was still slightly unsettling. Ike had had flesh wounds healed before, but having bones healed felt entirely different. It felt like thousands of tiny needles pricking him over and over, but it was soothing not painful. With the bones healed, the muscles and skin followed after. Ike let the strip of leather fall from his mouth. His breaths were coming in short quick gasps, but they soon evened out and he returned to breathing normally. Mist released Ike's bonds and he collapsed, exhausted, onto the blood soaked table.

"You all may leave if you wish," Rhys gasped the whole ordeal had drained him as well. "I can heal Ike's leg on my own."

Ilyana couldn't have fled from the scene any faster than she did. As soon as she had permission to leave, she was gone in the blink of an eye. Rhys shook his head as the thin thunder sage ran away. Soren and Mist, on the other hand, decided to stay and assist the already fatigued Rhys. Both knew all too well that the priest would not be doing anything for the next couple of days, even with their help. The three once again surrounded Ike in a warm blue glow. He squirmed around a little as his ligaments began to latch to each other and twist about.

"Done," Rhys exclaimed as he staggered backwards. He used his staff to regain his balance. "You'll need to take it easy for the next few days. I'll ask Oscar or Titania if one of them wouldn't mind lending you their horse for a few days."

"Don't bother with that," Soren cut in. "I have already informed both Oscar and Titania of Ike's situation and Oscar willing agreed to let Ike borrow his mount. I suggest that you return to your tent and get some rest, we will be marching in a few hours."

Rhys nodded, his eyelids already beginning to droop. He muttered a farewell and wearily dragged himself to his tent. Ike rotated his arm several times, checking to see that he still possessed his full range of motion. Satisfied, he made to leave. As he leapt off of the operating table and onto the floor, Ike found that his injured left leg didn't want to support him. He growled at the weakness of his own body, forcing himself to move forward. A flustered Mist chased after the limping Ike.

"What do you think your doing?" Mist demanded positioning herself in Ike's path.

"I'm returning to my tent. What does it look like?"

"Oh," Mist let out a sigh of relief. "I thought you were going to go train or something stupid like that. But I'm glad to hear that you actually have some common sense in you."

"C'mon," Ike said. "Give me a break."

Mist grinned as Ike slung his arm around her shoulders, leaning on her as much as he dared to. The two made their way through the camp and entered Ike's tent. Mist helped to ease her brother onto his cot. Ike gave her a smile of gratitude.

"I'll be back with Boyd to help break down your tent in an hour or so," Mist explained. As she spoke Ike's smile turned into a mischievous grin, his blue eyes sparkling dangerously. "What? What are you looking at me like that for Ike?"

"What are you and Boyd planning on doing for the next hour?" Ike asked as Mist just gave him a horrified look. "And does it really take an hour? I figured Boyd couldn't last five minutes."

"You are the worst," Mist stomped her foot and stormed out of Ike's tent.

"Don't wear that poor boy out too quickly," Ike shouted after his sister, bursting into laughter as he heard an agitated scream from outside of his tent.

Ike busied himself with packing the few belongings he possessed. A few sets of clothing, his armor which had been repaired by Daniel, his Regal Sword from the Mad King's War, and Ettard his current sword. With everything ready, Ike lay down on his cot. He resigned himself to reflecting on the events that transpired during their battle against the Daein army at the Ribahn River. Aside from the obvious fact that fighting his friends had greatly disturbed Ike, the only other thing he could think about was that silver haired girl.

'_Micaiah was her name_,' he thought. 'She _was rather beautiful, plus she seemed to be smitten by me_,' Ike grinned as this thought, remembering how she had blushed at the sight of him.

Ike's musings were interrupted as his sister, followed by Boyd, entered his tent. She had only been gone for twenty minutes at best. Ike gave Mist a smug look which she returned with a rather agitated glare. Boyd gave them both a confused look before shrugging his shoulders and decided that it might be best if he didn't know what was going on.

"We're here to help break down your tent," Mist explained she still retained her appearance of agitation. "And no we did not do anything! As soon as I found Boyd, I returned to help you!"

Upon hearing his name, Boyd started listening in on the conversation. He only saw a now fuming Mist and Ike who was very near to bursting out in laughter. Once again, Boyd decided it would be better to stay out of the matter.

"Alright, alright," Ike grinned holding in his laughter. "The help is much appreciated."

The process of taking down the tent didn't take any longer then a few minutes. As soon as they finished, Boyd and Mist left Ike alone once again. The mercenary commander made his way to Oscar's tent to prepare his horse for travel.

Marching was as boring as ever, just a continuous process of moving forward. Although this march would be very different, they weren't going to stop until they reached the secret passage to Gallia. The passage lay somewhere deep within the Serenes Forest near the Kauku Caves. The whole trip would take the Laguz Alliance approximately a day and a half to traverse. With nothing better to do, Ike allowed his mind to wander back to Micaiah. What makes her so special? Why do the people of Daein believe she can perform miracles? Can she really perform miracles? All were good questions, but none of them could be answered no matter how long Ike pondered them.

"Hey Ike," a familiar voice shouted, Ike turned in his saddle to see Ranulf bounding towards him. "Wow, you looked terrible just yesterday. Now look at you."

"Magic does many wonderful things for us Ranulf, but I'm not fully healed."

"Well that's too bad," the blue haired cat laguz sighed. He swished his tail back and forth as he walked along side Ike. "When will you be at full health?"

"Tomorrow at the earliest," Ike explained.

"Yes, that's the best news I've heard in a while. Actually," Ranulf paused to think for a moment. "This is the only good news I've heard in a while."

Both of them shared a brief, forced laugh at the attempted humor by Ranulf. The gravity of their situation was no laughing matter. They continued on in silence for a while, each person lost in their own thoughts. Ike's were straying back to Micaiah once again, and as for Ranulf anyone could venture a guess at what this laguz would be thinking.

"If only you had stayed in Crimea and married Elincia, Ike. Then we would have the support of the Crimean army as well, and we wouldn't be in this mess," Ike nearly fell off of his horse as Ranulf spoke.

"I was never planning on marrying Elincia in the first place," Ike began to explain. "Besides, she is in love with Geoffrey, so it wouldn't work out for me anyways."

"I was only teasing, but this does bring up an interesting subject," Ranulf grinned widely exposing his sharp fangs.

"What would that be?" Ike asked genuinely curious as to what his friend might be getting at.

"Who has captured the heart of our young and dashing Ike?" Ranulf spoke with a very dramatic tone accompanied by several twirls and a sweep of his hand. He ended it all by wrapping his arms around himself.

"Hell no Ranulf," Ike stated flatly hoping that his friend would leave it at that. Ranulf was too bored to be swayed from his path, and besides he really wanted to know who Ike wanted.

"Well if you won't say, I'll just keep naming all the people I know until you say yes," the cat laguz explained. "Let's see, Elincia is already off of the list, and she was my number one choice. Hmmm. Let me think. Oh, I know who it is. It's Mia," Ike shook his head. "No. Well then how about Lethe?"

"I thought you loved her?" Ike asked.

"This is about you not me. Remember?"

"Well in that case then, no."

"Really? Wow this is going to be tougher than I originally thought," Ranulf paused to think of other girls who Ike might be infatuated with, not realizing that it was no one from the Mad King's War. "Sanaki?"

"Ranulf, she's seven years younger than me," Ike explained. "Plus I don't really like her."

"Ilyana, I bet you could fill her endless apatite. If you get what I mean?" Ranulf hinted another grin forming on his face.

"I'm afraid she'd bite it off," Ike shuddered at the thought.

"Good point," Ranulf began to think of more girls. "It's not Marcia is it, because she really seemed to like you if I remember correctly? No, well this really is tough."

Ranulf continued to name off each and every girl he remembered from the Mad King's War. Ike, in turn, denied having feelings for each and every single one of them.

"Alright Ranulf," Ike sighed. "Now you're just guessing. Just accept the fact that you don't know who it is or if there even is a person that I love."

"No Ike," Ranulf said. "I know why you have rejected feeling for every single girl I've mentioned," Ike gave the laguz a curious look. "It's because you're gay for me isn't it?"

"Fuck you," Ike stated flatly as Ranulf fell to the ground rolling around in laughter. Ranulf ran to catch up with Ike again. "That wasn't even funny."

"I'm sorry Ike," Ranulf apologized. "Wait, I do know who you want. It's that silver haired general we fought at the Ribahn River, isn't it?"

"Her name is Micaiah and what makes you think that I actually have feelings for her?"

"Well for starters, that," Ranulf started. "Also, you went rigid when I began to mention her. Oh, and don't forget how nice you were to her when she started blushing. I will admit, she is very beautiful, but be careful. Loving an enemy could be dangerous."

"For who? You or me?" Ike asked.

"Me of course," Ranulf whined. "If anyone got near her on the battlefield, you'd cut them into ribbons."

Ike kicked at Ranulf, signaling the end of their conversation. The remainder of the march was spent in utter silence for Ike. He tried as best as he could to recall every single detail of Micaiah's appearance. From her shimmering silver hair to the pale pink skirt she wore. Before long, night blanketed the land with darkness, and yet the Laguz Alliance marched onwards. Night slowly faded into the early moments of dawn, and eventually the sun had risen.

"Hey, we've got a very big problem!" Janaff shouted to everyone below him. "The Begnion Central Army is only about a day off. They really covered a lot of ground since yesterday."

"It would be unwise to use the secret passage to Gallia with our enemy so close by," Soren explained. "It would give Begnion an invitation to invade Gallia and you king would not be pleased if that were to occur."

"What do you suggest we do then?" Ike asked.

"What about those caves over there?" Soren asked pointing to several openings in the base of the mountains bordering Gallia and Goldoa.

"Those are the Kauku Caves," Ranulf explained. "Nasty ash filled place with lava pits everywhere. Not exactly the kind of place where you'd want to rest."

"No natural hazard is as dangerous as a living intelligent enemy," Soren retorted.

"Fine, Soren. I trust in your judgment," Ike sighed. "Give the order Ranulf."

"Right," the cat laguz nodded. "Everyone head for the caves! Hurry! Into the Kauku Caves! Move It!"

**

* * *

**

My longest chapter yet, and another one that will just kind of set things up for the future. I can't believe I got this thing done so quickly though. I amaze myself sometimes. Anyways rate, review, and be prepared for the fourth chapter, whenever I get to it.


	4. No Time for Rest

* * *

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

**

And it continues on and on. Well this chapter will be pretty vague after the fight in the Kauku Caves. It will cover the Laguz Alliance's trip through Goldoa, back to Gallia, and where Begnion passes through Crimea. Enjoy!

**If I owned Fire Emblem, which I don't, I wouldn't be writing this thing.**

* * *

The already exhausted Laguz Alliance, hastened towards the caves at top speed. All hoped that legends were true, that there was an exit that led to Gallia. If not, then they would all die either by the hand of Begnion or by nature's own devices. Several laguz shifted into their beast forms in order to carry wounded soldiers into the caves. Everyone was rushing to and fro, all the while the Begnion army continued to close the gap separating the two mismatched armies.

"Oscar!" Ike shouted as he rode up to the squinty- eyed man. Ike dismounted the horse he had borrowed and handed the reigns over to its proper owner. "You're going to need your horse, just in case we do have to fight."

"But Ike what about-" Oscar began to protest before Ike cut him off. He reassured the green haired man that he would be fine; besides, Ike had no idea how to fight on horseback.

Oscar mounted his horse as Ike ran towards the Kauku Caves, where the majority of their force already was. Ike barely heard the cavalier shout out telling him to be careful. Ike ignored Oscar as he sped into the caves. The entire layout of the caves was desolate and very barren. The stifling heat weighted heavily on all the occupants. It was as Ranulf said, this wasn't a very good place to rest, but they were in here to escape not take a break. Ike immediately began to assist the injured laguz warriors up to steep incline to the mouth of the cave. It was backbreaking and tedious work that took a very long time. When everyone was in the caves, the Begnion Central Army had reached the edge of Serenes Forest. It was where the Laguz Alliance had been before they made for the Kauku Caves.

"Ulki," Ranulf started. "Can you hear what they're saying?"

The hawk laguz went silent, closing his eyes in concentration. Ike looked at the hawk as he remained as still as a statue for several minutes. Ulki finally opened his eyes and gave those around him a slightly sorrowful stare.

"A very powerful senator has taken command of the Begnion army," Ulki began relaying what he had heard. "He is ordering part of the Central Army to march on Gallia by way of Crimea and the other part of the army will try to climb the mountains. While they are doing that, the Northern Army will be coming after us here in these caves. Unless we want to be torn apart and leave Gallia open to invasion, we'd better find an exit soon."

"Ulki, go inform Skrimir of what is happening," Ike ordered. "And tell him to redouble his efforts in finding an exit. In the mean time, the Greil Mercenaries will hold back the Northern Army."

"You'll be getting some support from me, Ike," Ranulf piped in. "So don't worry."

"Alright, let's get moving!" Ike shouted so that everyone heard him. "All laguz are to assist moving the wounded further into the caves! Those who don't have any other task will go assist General Skrimir in his search for an exit!"

The army split in two, the majority of the laguz fleeing deeper into the caves while the beorc stayed behind. The earth began to vibrate violently, followed by a deafening explosion. Ike looked up to see a massive flaming boulder come hurdling down towards a group of scurrying laguz warriors. The laguz were flattened immediately by the impact. Those who escaped the initial rain of stone were pelted by fragments of scorching hot rock. The stones buried themselves deep in the skin, burning the muscles and flesh from the inside out.

"Be careful," Ranulf's subordinate, Kyza shouted. "These lava pits are still very active and constantly spit out boulders."

"Looks like they're here, Ike," Janaff informed the blue haired mercenary. "It doesn't look like it's the entire Northern Army, these guys look like more of a token force. I'd put their numbers around fifty, give or take ten soldiers. For the most part, there seems to be only common foot soldiers and heavily armored knights. Some mages, wait, there are also two practitioners of the dark arts with them. Some warriors are carrying crossbows. That sums up their force."

"Thank you Janaff. Let's see now," Ike observed the layout of the soon to be battlefield before him. High walls of rock split off into three paths. "Titania, you take the three brothers, Mist, Heather, and Nephenee. Ranulf, you will lead all of the laguz and take Rhys with you. I will take Mia, Ilyana, Soren, Gatrie, Shinon, Haar, and Jill. Titania will take the northern most route. Ranulf will lead his laguz south, sneak behind the enemy, and attack them from behind. I will hit them hard and fast, right up the middle. Any questions? No, good. Move out!"

The commander of each force took point with the others forming up behind them. Ranulf and his group engaged the enemy first, they were fighting are group of heavily armored units. They were easy prey for the lightning fast laguz, and Ranulf pressed his advance. Titania's group pulled up short of the enemy and took a defensive position in front of a patch of cracked ground. Ike moved his group down the lightly defended middle path. More loud explosions sounded as flaming boulders crashed down upon several Begnion soldiers, denting their armor but not killing them.

The battle raged on, but the Greil Mercenaries and the laguz clearly had the upper hand. They pressed their advantage over the Northern Army and began cutting to the general. The general had an unusual looking black mustache and slick black hair. He was a terrible leader though and very cowardly. He kept the majority of his elite soldiers in a defensive formation around him. The man couldn't even fight very well and he turned to flee as Ike charged at him. The general never managed to get away as Ike pushed Ettard to the hilt into the man's back and through his chest.

"Ike!" Ranulf called to his friend. "We can't let those men escape!"

Ike looked to see where Ranulf was pointing. He could see several soldiers clad in the crimson armor of Begnion, attempting to reach the mouth of the cave and escape to the outside. Ike and Ranulf gave chase, catching up to the soldiers with ease. The two warriors proceeded to kill each and every single enemy soldier. They turned back to see a member of the cat clan running towards them.

"We've found a way out," the cat exclaimed with glee.

"Good," Ike sighed. "Let's get out of here."

"You don't need to ask me twice," Ranulf added.

The three sprinted to rejoin with the main force of the Laguz Alliance, who was already starting to file out of the small opening. This exit only allowed three laguz to pass through at a time, so the proceedings took a few hours. Finally they were all back in the open once again. Ike inhaled deeply, filling his longs with air instead of ash for the first time in several hours. A cool breeze swept through the young man's hair, it felt like heaven compared to the blistering heat in the Kauku Caves.

"We're home," Skrimir sighed with relief. "I thought my rashness had doomed us all, but we've made it home at last."

"Hey Skrimir, has all that heat gone to the heat gone to that shaggy head of yours?" Tibarn asked the fiery lion laguz. "Look around you. Is this Gallia?"

"Hmmm," Skrimir took another look at the surrounding landscape. Something about it didn't look familiar. "No! It can't be! We're in Goldoa aren't we?"

As he spoke, several dragons glided down from the sky. They demanded to know what the Laguz Alliance was doing in their lands. Tibarn attempted to explain their current situation to the very angry dragons, while Skrimir began muttering about always wanting to fight a dragon.

"By the Goddess, did we screw up," Ranulf shook his head, his tail hung limp between his legs.

The leaders of the Laguz Alliance, Tibarn, Skrimir, Reyson, and Ranulf, were taken along with Ike to meet with the king of dragons. Dehgensia was a laguz with one rule; his country would remain secluded and neutral in every single affair. He wanted to send the Laguz Alliance back through the Kauku Caves and into Begnion. The old king refused to give any aid to the wounded. Dehgensia only wanted these intruders off of his land as soon as possible.

"Your Majesty," Ena spoke up. "Reyson saved the soul of your son three years ago. Would you condemn these people despite all the good they have done?"

"Do as you wish," the dragon king said as he turned to leave. "This is the only exception I will ever make."

Nasir and his granddaughter, Ena led the Laguz Alliance to the border between Gallia and Goldoa. There the two groups parted ways, the dragons returned to their king while the other laguz headed into the dense forests of Gallia. It had been another narrow escape for the Laguz Alliance, but at long last they were returning to their homeland. It would be several days before they would reach Castle Gallia.

Upon arrival, the wounded were taken to the medical ward and the other soldiers were dismissed for the time being. Tibarn immediately began to relay every single detail of the war to Canighes, king of lions. Meanwhile Ranulf and Skrimir chatted with Giffca, the king's shadow warrior. When Tibarn had finished, King Canighes informed everyone that he too had some rather grave news. The Begnion Central Army was preparing to launch an attack from the north while another part of the Begnion army was trying to traverse the mountain ranges to the east. Skrimir exploded with rage upon hearing that Crimea had let Begnion pass through their lands. It took some explaining and much convincing before the lion calmed down again.

"If we don't stop them, then this will really hurt," Tibarn stated very matter of fact like. "I'd like to take an army up to Crimea and take out Begnion while their army is split in two. My hawks will terrorize the other army to the east of the mountains."

"Soren, what do you think of this plan?" Ike asked his best friend and Tellius's number one tactician.

"I completely agree with King Tibarn's plan about attacking Begnion while they are split in two. But, this means that General Zelgius will be in command of the army in Crimea, so we need to be very cautious."

The Greil Mercenaries were among the army accompanying Tibarn into Crimea. They took only a few days, and when the Laguz Alliance arrived at the Crimean border the Begnion army was already waiting for them. It was as Soren said; General Zelguis was with this army. Both sides began shouting insults to each other, the tension in the air was about ready to break. Something over the ridge in the north caught Ike's attention. It was a single pegasus knight with green hair and white armor. As the knight flew towards the middle of the soon to be death zone, Ike realized it was Elincia. He stared as she dismounted her winged horse and addressed both armies, asking them to leave Crimea.

"Ike?" Mist asked pulling at her brother's cape. "What are we going to do now?"

"It's not up to me Mist," Ike explained to his little sister. "Tibarn is in charge here, not me."

"I know, but would you really go against Elincia's wishes for peace?"

"Mist, we're mercenaries. If we are under a contract then we have to do what is asked of us, unless we want to lose our jobs and starve to death."

Neither side agreed to withdraw from Crimea, so Elincia did one of the craziest things anyone had ever seen. She cast Amiti, the sword of Crimea, into the ground. She declared that Crimea would remain neutral in this conflict and that her people wanted a peaceful resolution. Tibarn flew at Elincia, and for a second Ike wasn't quite sure what the hawk king planned on doing. Much to his surprise began to laugh.

"Hey Ike!" Tibarn shouted. "I thought you were the craziest beorc ever, but this woman is giving you some serious competition. I can't say no to a pretty woman. Skrimir, we're leaving tell the troops to withdraw."

Tibarn returned to talking with Elincia while Ike watched the Laguz Alliance disappear into the trees. He was relieved to see that the majority of the Begnion army was doing the same. Tibarn flew after the after the Laguz Alliance, leaving the Greil Mercenaries alone. Mist and Titania began voicing their desire to go speak with Queen Elincia. After all, they had not seen her for about a year. However, a small part of the Begnion army had other plans, they charged down the small hill they were stationed on. They were headed straight for Crimea's queen. Ike immediately saw what was going on and began shouting orders to the mercenaries.

"Looks like we've got our old jobs back!" Ike shouted. "Protect the queen!"

The Crimean Royal Knights were also on the move as Ike and the Greil Mercenaries charged into the advancing Begnion soldiers. Titania had led a group along the southern edge of the battlefield to clear that area of Begnion troops. Ike, Mia, and Boyd were the first to reach the unarmed Elincia; they positioned themselves between her and the charging cavalry. Elincia spoke some words of gratitude to Ike for his assistance before she flew off to hide amongst the Royal Knights. As soon as they had the queen safe within their ranks, Geoffrey ordered his knights to withdraw. This left the Greil Mercenaries to fend off the entire force of Begnion troops.

"Damn you Geoffrey," Ike cursed under his breath as he slew another cavalier. "Take the queen and run away. Leave the hard stuff to us, you coward."

Ike and his group continued to fight their way across the plain while Titania's group had already began advancing on the Begnion commander's position. Ike sprinted up the hill, smashing aside a wall of armored knights. He cut down several more mounted units before facing the commander himself. Ike could see a senator fleeing towards the main army of Begnion. The commander was easy prey for Ike because the man couldn't wield any proper weapon other than a bow, which did him no good at close range. Rolf took the bow from the dead man's body, examining it closely and pulling back on the string. Satisfied with the make of the bow, Rolf kept it.

"At least Zelgius was honorable enough to withdraw from this place," Ike sighed, he felt so exhausted all of a sudden. "If the entire Begnion army had attacked, we all would have been killed."

"Lucky us that they didn't attack and we didn't die," Ranulf pointed out.

"Well we've learned some very valuable information from all of this," Soren suddenly spoke up. Everyone looked at him wondering what he meant exactly. "We now know that there are some serious power struggles occurring within the Begnion army."

'_Doesn't stop them from fighting us though_,' Ike thought. '_Too bad, I could use the break_.'

It has been one hardship followed closely by another ever since Skrimir lost his duel. There has been non stop battling every single day and the constant marching. No one had gotten decent nights sleep in weeks, and it didn't look like anyone would any time soon. Would they never get a chance to just rest and relax for a least one single day. Ike had a feeling that things were only just getting started. He let out a groan as his muscles ached from the constant fighting. This was war, no time for rest, only time for killing and preparing to kill.

**

* * *

**

Yay! I finished the fourth chapter, which was really just a quick pass through of several unimportant events. I've already began working on chapter five, so it should be up sometime this week or this weekend. Rate, review, or just leave a comment.


	5. Returning to Daein: part two

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

**

This is part two of _Return to Daein_, **which I would have put right after part one but I needed to get Ike and his journey in there too. This is just more on the Daein army returning to Nevassa. There is a lot of silliness from Edward, Laura, and Leonardo in this chapter, but it does have its serious parts too. Actually, it's mostly serious. You'll find out when you read.**

**I have no connections to the creation of Fire Emblem. Enjoy chapter 5!**

* * *

The return trip to Nevassa was taking a lot longer then anyone had anticipated. This was mostly due to the number of wounded soldiers who could not travel well, forget moving swiftly across the countryside. However, the long trek would soon be over for Nevassa was now less then a day's march away. How each soldier yearned to see their families once again, to hold loved ones in their arms? Micaiah could only wonder because everyone she cared for traveled wherever she went. Still, returning to her beloved home would be quite nice, to be able to sleep in a bed instead of on a hard cot.

"We're almost home," Micaiah sighed wearily. It seemed like an eternity since she had last seen Nevassa and its people.

"Too bad we couldn't bring a victory home with us," Sothe muttered as he passed by her, his hung his head in shame. "This is going to devastate the people of Daein, knowing that their Priestess of Dawn can in fact be defeated. What makes it worse is that the person who defeated you was Ike, the man who destroyed Daein during the Mad King's War."

"Such a shame," Nolan suddenly butted into the conversation. "That our fair Maiden of Miracles' one weakness is a certain blue haired man."

Micaiah blushed furiously at Nolan's comment while Sothe growled viciously at the chuckling ax-wielder. Had Nolan not been such an important part of the army plus an original member of the Dawn Brigade, Sothe would have slit the man's throat right then and their. Sothe didn't like hearing anyone teasing Micaiah, especially on such a sensitive subject. Edward, who had been listening in the entire time, gave each person a puzzled stare. He just couldn't figure out what they were all getting so worked up about. The confused swordsman turned to Laura for some help, but he only received one of her ever present smiles filled with kindness. Who were they talking about?

"Are you talking about Pelleas?" Edward finally asked, deciding that he would rather know the truth then sitting up late at night trying to figure it out on his own. They all turned to look at Edward as if he was absolutely insane, then everyone burst out laughing. "What? I don't get it, what's so funny? Laura, could you please explain this to me?"

"Don't worry about it Edward," Laura said trying to suppress her own laughter. "It's just that Pelleas is the polar opposite of the person we're talking about."

"Who is it then?" Edward asked, he was really starting to get irritated by all of this.

"It's Ike we're talking about," Nolan answered for Laura, who was covering her mouth attempting to stop the flow hysterical laughter that was escaping them.

"Oh, now I get it," Edward said, his face lighting up. "That actually is pretty funny. Hey Micaiah, I've got something new to tease you with now."

"Please Edward don't," Micaiah pleaded with him, but to no avail. Edward walked up to an unsuspecting Leonardo and began to confess his love to him in a very shrill feminine voice. Leonardo was confused at first, but caught on quickly joining in wholeheartedly. "Please stop that you-," Micaiah stopped as Edward placed his hand over his mouth and pulled Leonardo into a fake kiss. "I would never do that!"

"Look around you Micaiah," Nolan swept his arm across the ever growing group of Daein soldiers watching the performance. "Lighten up a little and just enjoy the show. Those two sure have done a good job in lifting the flagging spirits of our men, wouldn't you agree?"

"I guess you're right," Micaiah answered as crowd of soldiers erupted into laughter. "Leave it to Edward to make everyone laugh."

"And it's all at your expense," Nolan walked away chuckling.

Micaiah returned her attention to the two boys acting out a rather comical love story. She was glad that none of the soldiers actually knew how all of this started; she would be so embarrassed if they did. Micaiah had to admit, those two were hilarious together. However, something was missing from the story. That hole was filled as Laura got up the courage to join the festivities. The crowd cheered as she immediately began to fight with Leonardo for Edward's attention. They chased each other, clung to Edward's clothes, and attempted to pull him away from the other person. Edward loved all the attention he was receiving from Laura and Edward, but he had to end the fighting soon or else it would get boring.

"Enough!" Edward shouted, putting himself between the quarreling pair extending his hands towards each of them. "I have decided between the two of you, the most is worthy to have my love. Laura you are kind, gentle, and beautiful. However, Leonardo has amazing hair, which you just don't seem to have. Leonardo, I love you."

"Awe, I love you too," Leonardo responded, barely managing to contain the laughter building within his chest.

The entire army exploded in laughter at this exchange, some men even fell over. Laura on the other hand was not amused at all. She wasn't about to let Edward escape her, even if it was for pretend. She began walking towards a still laughing Edward, never once did she take her eyes off of him. The army quieted down, realizing that the show was not yet over. Edward turned to face Laura, mentally preparing himself for whatever she might do. Laura reached her arm around the swordsman's neck and pulled his face within an inch of hers. Several cheers and whistling could be heard from the crowd, but it quickly faded away into silence once more. Laura held Edward there until he realized that she had done all that she was going to and that he would need to make the next move. He closed his eyes and closed the remaining distance between his lips and Laura's, but she was gone.

"No fair," Edward whined as he opened his eyes to see Laura standing in front of him.

The soldiers laughed at Edward, oblivious to the fact that the performance was becoming less acting and more real. Although, the show was becoming more realistic, Laura stayed true to the performance.

"Admit your mistake and renounce your love for Leonardo," Laura demanded of a slightly confused Edward. Remembering that he was still acting Edward prepared for Laura to finish talking so that he could respond. "After you have done that, you will acknowledge me your one and only true love."

"You win!" Edward admitted, throwing his hands up in defeat. "I made a mistake when I chose Leonardo as my lover and not you, but you have shown me the light. You showed me the error in my ways and even were kind enough to give me a second chance. I a-," Edward stopped to think for a moment. "What was that word you used, again, the one that started with an 'a'?"

"Oh for the love of all that is holy," Laura yelled in an exasperated tone. "Do you love me or not?"

"I do," Edward had barely finished when the short brown haired girl kissed him.

The soldiers cheered, laughed, whistled, applauded, and did anything else that they could to express their enjoyment of the performance. Everyone burst out laughing again as Leonardo collapsed on the ground pretending to cry over his lost love, Edward. For that short period of time everyone forgot the sorrows of the world. Instead, they enjoyed talking about the performance they all had just witnessed. The soldiers chatted merrily as the army once again resumed its march to Nevassa.

"I wonder if any of them realize that the last part of that performance was actually real," Fiona said to Micaiah as she dismounted her horse and walked along the silver haired girl.

"I'm not really sure," Micaiah responded with a grin. "It was very entertaining though wasn't it?"

"Yes, yes it was," Fiona nodded her head in agreement. "That brings me to a rather interesting but very personal question I have for you."

"What would that be?" Micaiah asked genuinely curious as to what the cavalier wanted to know.

"Who has captured your attention?" Fiona asked the silver haired girl, but Micaiah didn't quite understand what Fiona was getting at. "Are you in love with anyone?"

"What?" Micaiah choked on her own words, heat rising to her cheeks. "What makes you think I'm in love with someone?"

"I didn't say you were," Fiona defended her self, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I was only asking if you had a love interest, and now I think I am pretty sure that you are. So tell me, who is he?"

"Um, it's a bit complicated," Micaiah tried to explain without giving away too much. "I don't know if he even cares about me at all or even if he is aware that I exist."

"What?" Fiona asked her voice tinted with anger. "That's terrible! Now I really want to know who this bastard is so we can teach him a lesson!"

"Well, I mean he knows I exist, I'm just not sure if he likes me," Micaiah hurriedly spoke trying to calm the Lady of Marado. "Besides, none of us would be able to beat him, he's just too strong."

"Would you just tell me who he is?" Fiona asked, she starting to get frustrated with Micaiah's elusive answers and pathetic explanations.

"Ike," Micaiah mumbled hoping that Fiona wouldn't hear her but at the same time wishing that she did hear.

If Fiona had ever looked shocked before, it didn't even compare to how her face looked now. She simply couldn't believe what she had just heard, that Micaiah loved Daein's most hated man. Fiona repeated Ike's name several times, each time Micaiah nodded her head instead of giving a verbal response.

"How did this happen?" Fiona asked. "How could you possibly even let such an absurd thought cross your mind, falling for our enemy?"

"I-I don't r-really know how," Micaiah stammered, her already present blush deepening. "There are so many reasons to love him and not enough reasons to hate him. Ike spared my life at the Ribahn River, he was kind to me, he cared about the well being of all of my friends, he even went as far as to spare the life of a soldier he could have easily slaughtered, and he is breath taking," Micaiah clasped her hands over her mouth as the last few words escaped her mouth.

"I see," Fiona started her tone was suddenly icy and dangerous. "So you are going to abandon Daein and all the people who adore you just because you have feeling for some worthless man. Who, by the way, is the reason Daein was in the mess it was in before we liberated it."

Micaiah shrunk away from the amount of venom in Fiona's voice. To be completely honest, she hadn't really given the whole situation a lot of thought. The realization that either one of them would need to abandon their friends to be together, dawned on Micaiah for the first time. Did Ike even love her or was he already with another woman? Did she love Ike? Could they ever be happy together? As Micaiah thought over each question she managed to answer one truthfully, she couldn't deny that she loved Ike.

"Well, what do you plan on doing?" Fiona asked bragging Micaiah out of her own world and back into reality.

"I just don't know," Micaiah sighed, her voice sad and unsure. "I just don't know what to do."

"You're absolutely hopeless, you know that?" Fiona snapped as she mounted her horse and rode away.

'_I will do anything for Daein, or at least I thought I would_,' Micaiah thought to herself. '_Now I'm not so sure what to do anymore. Fighting for my country doesn't seem as right as it did before_.'

All of Micaiah's confidence and conviction had been shattered by Ike's stern yet gentle grin that he given her the only time they had met. Everything she had ever believed in, crumbled away into dust that day on the river. Ike's fiery eyes which made her tremble with fear, but at the same time made her stomach churn and her heart melt. Could she bring herself to abandon Daein and its people just to be with the man she wanted to be with? For once, Micaiah wished that the people who adored her and praised her would just disappear. She didn't want to be the Priestess of Dawn anymore, she didn't want to be the savior of Daein, and all she wanted was to be Micaiah so she could be with Ike. Didn't she deserve to fall in love just like every other girl around her? Micaiah had never felt so confused before. On one hand she could have Daein and on the other, there was Ike. Which one was the right choice?

"Hey, Micaiah snap out of it!" Sothe shouted his voice causing her to jump. "Nevassa is within sight now and I'm sure King Pelleas is going to want to know what happened out there."

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" Micaiah snapped back, she was furious with her own indecision and was taking it out on Sothe. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," Sothe apologized taking a step back from the unusually angry Micaiah. "You don't need to bite my head off like that, and before I forget," Sothe handed Micaiah a stack of papers. "These are our up to date reports on everything to funds to casualties."

"Thanks, I'm glad I can always count on you," Micaiah said calming down and forcing a smile.

Sothe muttered something in response, but Micaiah failed to hear what it was. He vanished into a squad of soldiers before Micaiah had a chance to ask him about what he said. She felt it as he left her, his immense pain and the love for her. Sothe loved Micaiah as more then just a sister and friend, he wanted more then she was able to offer him. She felt bad that she couldn't comfort him in this matter. Her very presence was like throwing salt on an open and infected wound. Not only would Micaiah be losing Daein if she went to Ike, she would also lose Sothe and probably more of her friends.

"Lady Micaiah, if I may?" Daein's former rider Tauroneo asked his commanding officer. Micaiah nodded for the man to continue with what he wanted to say. "I have been observing you as well as talking with a few of your friends and I have a bit of advice. You should do whatever you deem right, then, never once look back after you've made that decision. And don't make your choice hastily, although I can see that you have been giving this some serious thought over these past few days."

"What do you think I should do?" Micaiah asked hoping that the older general would give her something that would sway her decision one way or another. "I have absolutely no idea what I should do. I'm torn between the love for my country and my new found love in Ike."

"Maybe this will help you," Tauroneo started. "During the Mad King's War, I decided to leave Daein and fight for Ike and the Crimea's army. My choice was my own and I never once regretted it. You will only know that you've made the right decision after it has been made. It will feel like the most natural thing in the world and you will not once want to go back on that decision."

"That didn't help in the least bit," Micaiah complained to the general clad in white armor. "I need some reason to choose one over the other because right now they're tied. Please, tell me what to do."

"I'm sorry Micaiah," Tauroneo apologized to the stressed girl before him. "I can't do that because what I choose may not be what you wanted. Then, you would end up hating what you'd done for the rest of your life."

"What would you tell me to do?" Micaiah wondered out loud. "Which would you have me choose?"

"Personally," Tauroneo paused here to think for a moment. "I would say that you have done more then enough for the country of Daein. I would tell you to go and be happy with the man you wish to be with if he accepts you, that is. But Ike would be a fool to refuse someone as amazing as you, Micaiah. Would you go to Ike on your own if you were presented with the opportunity?"

Micaiah fell into silence; she was not prepared to answer such a question yet. Tauroneo noticed that his question had troubled the poor girl, so he decided to leave to her own devices. Micaiah marched on in a maelstrom of emotions and doubt, Nevassa drew closer with each passing step. The army was now approaching the front gate of the city. A guard appeared atop the wall to greet them.

"Open the gates!" he began shouting at the people below him. "Hurry and open the gates! The Maiden of Dawn has returned with the army!"

The massive wooden gates moaned loudly, protesting their sudden movement. Micaiah caught a glimpse of the inside of Nevassa for the first time in a very long time. The street before the army was lined on either side with cheering people. Some applauded the return of the army, others searched for their loved ones, and all cheered for the Maiden of Miracles. Micaiah was used to this kind of attention by now, but it still warmed her heart knowing that so many people actually cared about her. She waved her hand, as she had done after the rescue at Shifu Swamp, and the crowd cheered ten times louder then before. That was all of the convincing Micaiah needed to make up her mind.

'I will do anything for the betterment of my country,' Micaiah thought as she continued through the excited crowd. 'All of them depend on me and I cannot let them down. Not even Ike and the Greil Mercenaries will be able to stop me.

With her newfound resolve, Micaiah and her army continued on towards the keep. After all, as the Maiden of Miracles, Daein's greatest general, Micaiah had duties to fulfill. She needed to report to her king and give a report on their loss at the Ribahn River. The memory of Ike's fighting abilities suddenly flooded Micaiah's mind, sending chills all throughout her body. Ike would be tough to defeat in combat, even with the Black Knight it might not be possible. Micaiah saw Ike standing before her; dark storm clouds surrounded his entire being giving him a very sinister appearance. Ike's large frame cast a shadow over her, extinguishing the light she held for Daein. Micaiah realized that Ike would be back in Daein, and he was going to obliterate the country!

**

* * *

**

Take that, a fifth chapter! Enjoyed it hated it? Please review and I hope to have chapter six, which will be short, up soon. I actually have chapter six all writen up and I'll get to typing it after I post this chapter.


	6. Redeployment

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

**

Yeah I just posted chapter five and got right to typing this thing. This is just a setup for another, much later chapter, and some foreshadowing. You'll find out what I mean when you read this chapter.

**I still don't have any connections to Fire Emblem and I never ever will. How unfortunate, because their writers got very lazy with Radiant Dawn.**

* * *

The Daein Keep, not the most lavishly decorated building ever. The whole place had a very militant feel to it, mostly because it resembled a barracks so much. Micaiah was walking down a corridor with Sothe following at her side. Their footsteps echoed off of the dimly lit stone walls. Opening a door on her left, Micaiah and Sothe one of the many meeting rooms within the keep. King Pelleas and all of the other Daein generals, Tauroneo included, were already present and were just waiting for the last person to arrive. The group of men was gathered around a long oak table upon which were maps, detailed battle strategies of past wars, and reports from Daein spies.

"Micaiah, I'm so glad you decided to join us," Pelleas greeted her with a wry smile plastered on his face. "Now that we are all present and accounted for, we may begin this meeting."

King Pelleas began, as he usually did, by extending his gratitude to every attendant at the meeting. Everyone thought that it was absolutely ridiculous, but it was this man's custom and no one was able to convince him to give it up. They all hated this part, because it took an unreasonable amount of time out of their day. Why couldn't the king just thank them for attending as a group instead of individually? Pelleas continued thanking each person for what seemed like an eternity, but he finally finished his pointless habit of courtesy. The general waited in silence, they wanted to know why this meeting had been called in the first place.

"As all of you already know, we failed to halt the Laguz Alliance," Pelleas began, several men grumbled at this obvious comment. "That has made the Begnion Empire rather angry with us. However, they were gracious enough to offer us a chance to redeem ourselves."

"What the hell are you talking about?" one of the generals shouted in frustration. "Are you suggesting that we obey the empire just to redeem ourselves in their eyes? I don't give a shit what they think of me, I hate being a pawn for some other country."

"Please, calm yourself General Harte," Pelleas pleaded with the man. "I understand how you feel. However, my goal is to reestablish friendly relations with the Begnion Empire. If fighting alongside them will help accomplish that goal, then I will offer our troops to them."

"So what do those bastards want us to do for them this time?" the same general asked.

"Don't speak in such a manner about our good friends," Pelleas chastised the man who only ignored his king. "The Begnion Empire has some political issues going on at the moment. The supposed apostle, Sanaki, is actually a tyrant who wishes to wreak havoc across Tellius. We are to capture the false apostle and defeat her army of heretics. We are to not let them enter the Begnion Empire under any circumstances."

The generals of Daein stood around the table in stunned silence. Fighting the Laguz Alliance was understandable, the sub-humans needed to be exterminated. Fighting the apostle and her army didn't make any sense. Daein had no business in this fight. Also, they would be fighting against fellow humans which no one really wanted to do. Fighting for a cause they didn't believe in was something that none of the generals felt like doing, but unless they could sway the king's decision, they would have to do it anyways. Everyone remained silent, trapped within their own thoughts. King Pelleas shifted nervously as time elapsed and still no one gave him a response.

"How large are the apostle's forces?" Micaiah finally asked.

"I never received an exact number," Pelleas answered, relieved that someone had finally broken the silence. "I was informed that her force consists of the Laguz Alliance, the Crimean Royal Knights, and the majority of the Begnion Central Army."

"This is lunacy!" General Harte exploded, slamming his hands down on the table in rage. "A force that size would brush us aside as if we were nothing. It would be suicide to fight against them. Do you truly care so little about your people?"

"I agree with Harte on this point," General Meil spoke up. "It would be an absolute massacre. We have about as good a chance of defeating the apostle's army as a rock does to float in water. Everyone knows that a rock can't float on water, and just as the rock can't float we will be unable to overcome such immense numbers."

"We couldn't even stop the Laguz Alliance from crossing the Ribahn River," Tauroneo pointed out to the group. "You said it yourself, Your Majesty. Since we couldn't defeat a considerably smaller force, what makes you think we can even halt the apostle's army? The apostle has three armies where we only have one, I hate to admit it, but we would get annihilated."

"The means by which you defeat the enemy is your task, not mine," Pelleas snapped back, which was highly out of character for the young king. "I have given you my orders, have I not? As my loyal subjects, you must obey them without a second thought. Now, if you don't mind I have other matters which I must attend to."

With that said, King Pelleas took his leave of the meeting of Daein generals. No one moved for a long time. Some of the generals exchanged hushed whispers, but aside from that the room remained eerily silent. Tauroneo began examining the maps laid out on the table while Sothe picked up a piece of paper that contained Daein's battle strategies from past wars.

"Fuck him!" General Harte shouted. "Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! I damn that worthless piece of shit to an eternity in hell! He will pay for sending us to our deaths!"

"General Harte!" one of the other generals snapped. "Calm yourself, man. What if the king heard you shouting like that? What then? You would be slain right where you stand and there would be no one to blame but yourself."

"He is sending us headlong into eternal damnation! I have every right to curse the little bitch!" Harte spat in the direction of the door that Pelleas had left through.

"Which is why we won't fight the apostle's forces head on," Tauroneo stated.

"What are you suggesting?" Sothe asked the older man.

"I'm not suggesting anything yet. All I'm saying is that it would be foolish to try to match strength with strength. We wouldn't stand a chance that way."

"Well, that's pretty, fucking obvious!" Harte yelled, his face starting to turn purple. "Please, tell us more worthless information!"

"Calm yourselves!" Micaiah shouted, hoping that she would be heard. She desperately wanted to avoid a fight, which would have broken out soon if she hadn't done anything. "I understand that you are very upset by the king's orders, but it does us no good to scream and shout at each other. We need to formulate a plan so that we will have the upper hand when fighting against the apostle's army. We need to get them to come to us."

"How are you planning on doing that?" Sothe asked.

"Actually, it's quite simple," Tauroneo began to explain. "The apostle's army will not be able to move forward into Begnion if they know that Daein is a threat. All we need to do is provoke them and they will be forced to deal with us first."

"Which means that they will probably try to enter Daein, here," Sothe said pointing to a spot on one of the maps.

"Oribes Bridge?" Micaiah asked. "What makes you think that the apostle would use this bridge to enter Daein?"

"It is the easiest land route into Daein," Sothe explained. "Now that we know where to go, our next step is to fortify the bridge. When Crimea crossed Oribes Bridge during the Mad King's War, Daein laid traps and set up barricades to slow their enemy's advance. I think we should use the same strategy."

"But Daein lost that battle to Crimea," Micaiah pointed out. "Why would you even suggest an idea that already failed?"

"True, it did not work then. However, Daein did not lay their traps strategically, instead they scattered them at random. When someone fell into a hole, it was entirely by coincidence and poor luck on that soldier's part. I say we use sandbags to funnel our enemy into numerous pitfalls, and when they are stuck we bombard them with ballista fire."

"Brilliant idea Sothe," Micaiah congratulated him. "Are we all in agreement to this plan?" No one disagreed with it. "We will move out for Oribes Bridge in three days time then."

Sothe's strategy was by far the best way for dealing with the apostle's army. As planned, the Daein army departed from Nevassa after three days time had elapsed. It would be several days before they actually reached the Daein-Crimea border, where Oribes Bridge was located. Micaiah spent her first night away from her home city wrapped in a hellish nightmare. She saw him standing before her, Micaiah saw Ike. However, unlike her past dreams of Ike, Micaiah wasn't feeling warm or safe. She was not being held tightly in the muscular arms of the blue haired mercenary. Ike wasn't even smiling in this horrid dream. No, his eyes were filled with an unspeakable rage and something else that Micaiah couldn't quite identify, he held a bloodied sword above his head. Behind Ike lay the bodies of fallen soldiers, Daein soldiers. Among those bodies Micaiah saw a pair of lifeless green eyes staring back at her. They were Sothe's eyes.

"No!" Micaiah screamed as she sat up in her cot.

The image of Sothe's lifeless eyes and Ike's furious killing burned in her mind. Micaiah didn't want to believe it anymore, her visions. She couldn't imagine what it would be like without Sothe, but losing him wasn't the worst part of it. The worst part about it was that she knew it was going to happen and no matter what she did she couldn't prevent it. The thought made Micaiah's stomach churn. Where were the dreams of Ike that were filled with love and joy? What happened to the dreams where Ike would hold her close to him? They were all gone now. Fighting for Daein would get Sothe killed and Micaiah knew it.

'_I will do anything it takes to keep Daein safe, I made a vow_," Micaiah thought to herself. '_If losing Sothe is what it takes, then I guess I'll just have to face that when the time comes_. _A small single life to protect thousands of others, yeah_, _I can get through this_.'

Micaiah tried to fall back to sleep, but the tears in her eyes were keeping her awake. Sothe wasn't dead yet and already she was falling apart. It wasn't just the thought of Sothe keeping her awake. Micaiah's mixed feelings for Ike were only adding to the problem.

"What am I going to do?" Micaiah sobbed, eventually crying herself to sleep.

**

* * *

**

My shortest chapter yet, but it was a very important chapter. Will Sothe live or will I kill him off. You'll just need to wait until I reach that chapter now won't you? Rate, review, you know the usual.


	7. History Repeats Itself

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

**

I can't wait to start writing the eighth chapter. Anyways, this one follows Ike and the Greil Mercenaries after Sanaki escapes the senate and the Begnion Central Army splits. Enjoy chapter seven!

**I have no connections to the creating of Fire Emblem. These disclaimers are really starting to bug me!**

* * *

Ike hated the castle in Melior, which was more of a palace then a castle. The overly lavish décor of the place made him feel like he didn't belong there, and he didn't belong. The aristocracy was no place for a simple mercenary especially not one like Ike. The finely dressed and well spoken nobles looked down on him as if he were some stray dog infested with fleas and caked in mud. The nobles never liked Ike, but now that he was no longer a noble like them their displays of distaste were much more blatant. Why couldn't they just mind their own damn business? Ike stormed down a long corridor, having just encountered a duo of rather nasty aristocrats. Ike grits his teeth in frustration as he saw another large group of nobles headed in his direction. Where did all of the worthless bastards come from anyways and what did they do all day besides complain? Ike shook his head, wondering how Elincia could put up with this day after day. Ike gripped the handle to a door that lead into one of the many courtyards in the castle. He saw Mia, Rhys, and Mist all there waiting for him.

"It's about time you showed up Boss," Mia exclaimed in her usual excited and energetic tone. "I wasn't sure you would be able to escape long enough to spar with me. If that happened, I might just need to fight with Rhys."

"Dealing with nobles takes longer then it should," Ike spat, he was furious at how the nobles were treating him. "I spent all of that time in a supposed war meeting, but all we did was introduce ourselves and then the nobles began to argue back and forth about nothing. We only made formal introductions and participated in fights that were completely irrelavent to the current war. One of those fucking idiots thought that planning a ball would be an appropriate topic for the meeting. What kind of bullshit is that? Not to mention all of the dirty looks and insults I've been getting since we first arrived. The nobles are just a bunch of worthless, ungrateful, selfish, retarded bastards."

"Wow, umm," Mia was suddenly quiet not sure what to say in response to Ike's angry rant. "Well at least we don't need to worry about fighting all of Begnion anymore."

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that," Ike admitted calming down a little. "Now we can focus on crushing only the corrupt parts of the empire, the senators."

"And to crush them, we need to be prepared," Mia said pulling her curved Wo Dao sword from its sheath on her hip.

"Once again, you're right," Ike responded by drawing Ettard from its sheath on his back. "Give it your all Mia."

"I always do Boss," Mia said as she dashed toward her opponent at amazing speed. Ike was no slouch and easily parried each and every one of Mia's attacks.

"Don't cut each other up too badly," Rhys pleaded as the two clashed again. "I'm really tired today so try to go easier on each other then you normally would."

"Are you feeling unwell?" Ike asked as he shoved Mia away from his body so he could use his longer reach to his advantage. Mia tried to get close to Ike again but he held her at bay with relative ease.

"He's not sick at all Boss," Mia stated as she slashed at Ike's side, her attack was easily deflected. "He just had a very busy night last night, if you catch my drift."

"No I don't catch your drift," Ike grunted as he sent Mia's sword flying out of her hand. He placed the tip of Ettard at her throat. "I win again. Now tell me why Rhys is so tired and how you know about it."

Ike you are completely oblivious to subtleties," Mist teased her older brother.

"What do you mean?" Ike asked utterly confused by it all. "Wait, you're not implying-"

"We had hot, wild sex last night," Mia shouted unable to hold it in any longer. She ran over to where her lover sat and flung herself upon him. "Rhys is really good to, but he's always too tired to do anything to next day. Too bad you don't have better endurance."

"It's not my fault that I can't last very long in vigorous physical activities like the crazy sex you always want to have," Rhys defended himself. "I was always a very sickly boy and I still sometimes get ill."

"Hold on for a second," Ike demanded. "You two have been sleeping together?" Mia and Rhys smiled at each other before nodding. "For how long has this been happening?"

"Well let me think," Rhys said scratching his head. "I think our first time was the night after you fought the Black Knight at Nados Castle."

"Over three years now!" Ike shouted in surprise. "I can't believe I never noticed you two. Wait, if you've been having sex for over three years now how come Mia has never gotten pregnant?"

"I was the one who solved that problem," Mia smiled proudly. "I thought of just that very problem. I wouldn't be any good to you guys with a baby growing inside of me, so I came up with an alternative."

"Do I even want to know?" Ike winced a little.

"Of course you do," Mia stated in a very matter of fact fashion. "What if you decide to have sex with one of the girls in the arm? You'll thank me for my brilliance."

"Alright," Ike sighed. "What was this brilliant plan of yours?"

"Well I actually came up with two solutions," Mia squirmed with excitement. "The first solution we tried was having only anal sex. It was amazing, but there were several downsides to this plan. I couldn't always walk properly the next day, so that lead me to our second solution. Rhys could start of fucking me in my vagina, and right before he reached his release he could do one of three things. He could just blow his load all over my body, or in my mouth, or he could finish up with anal sex."

"The two of you have officially scarred me for life," Ike shook his head. "I really didn't need to know about your sex life and I kind of regret asking about it. I will never be able to look at the two of you the same way ever again."

"Oh come off it Ike," Mist said punching her brother playfully on the arm. "It's not like what happened with me and Boyd. You never walked in on them having sex like you did with us."

"That was not a very good day," Ike grinned. "I remember breaking down two doors as well as breaking Boyd's nose."

"He came screaming like a girl into the mess hall," Mia giggled. "He was completely naked and he still had an erection. He tried to lock the door to keep you out, Boss, but you just broke it down."

"And Boyd probably would have died there if Mist didn't come running in, also naked," Rhys smiled. "She stopped you from beating Boyd. Those were the good days."

"If that was a good day I'd hate to be with the lot of you on a bad day," Sigrun laughed as she approached the group. She was greeted by a simultaneous "hello" from everyone before she continued speaking. "Imagine what the people would say if they found out about the Greil Mercenaries' hectic home life."

"I think they'd all get a good long laugh out of it," Mist grinned.

"Maybe, but then again, maybe not," Ike thought. "Anyways, what brings you here Sigrun? Do you have orders from the apostle or from Queen Elincia?"

"As a matter of fact I do," Sigrun gave Ike a smile. "You've been summoned by Apostle Sanaki herself."

"Don't make it sound like such a huge deal," Ike grinned. "I've met with Sanaki before."

"It is my duty to make a big deal out of such matters, Ike," Sigrun laughed. "Please follow me."

Sigrun may be a noble, but she wasn't anything like the stuck up pompous bastards Ike usually dealt with. She was a lot more like Elincia; kind, modest, down to earth, and beautiful. Ike followed the commander of the Holy Guards to the young Apostle Sanaki's room. When they arrived Sigrun told him to wait outside while she announced his arrival, title, and status. Ike let out an agitated sigh as the door closed behind Sigrun; worthless customs and traditions. Such a waste of time, Ike wanted this to go quickly but that would not be the case. The noble classes all had their ways for wasting time, but Begnion was the master at it. Every trivial topic required hours of endless arguing and chest beating by those obnoxious nobles. After several minutes had passed Sigrun opened the door and beckoned for Ike to enter. He looked at the lavishly decorated room, his eyes finally falling upon the short apostle. Sanaki wore her usual garb, which made her look ridiculous because her clothes were far too large for her.

"Lord Ike, it is good to see you again," Sanaki greeted with a smile. "Wait, I forgot that you renounced your title as a lord, so that would make you 'Ike' and not 'Lord Ike'."

"Apostle Sanaki, would you just tell me why you summoned me," Ike spoke trying to keep his voice as even as possible. He didn't know what it was, but Sanaki just aggravated him.

"As impatient as ever I see," the girl shook her head her purple swaying with her motions. "Couldn't you at least attempt to have some social etiquette when talking to your superiors? No, well I guess that would deduct from your charm."

"Apostle Sanaki!" Sigrun nearly shouted utterly shocked by what the young girl had just said. "That is a bit rash of you to say such a thing!"

"Let me cut right to the point," Sanaki said blatantly ignoring Sigrun's outburst. "Crimea as well as the Laguz Alliance has both agreed to assist me in reclaiming my birth right, the Begnion Empire."

"And you want to contract my mercenaries for additional troops," Ike finished the girl's sentence.

"Allow me to finish, Ike," Sanaki huffed she wasn't used to being interrupted by anyone. "As I was saying, both Crimea and the Laguz Alliance have decided to lend me their strength. I also wish to contract the Greil Mercenaries-"

"We'll take the job," Ike said cutting off Sanaki again.

"Ike!" Sanaki snapped. "You are really starting to irritate me! What do you think you're doing, interrupting a person of higher status then you like that?"

"I think I'm speeding the process up a bit," Ike responded with a smug grin on his face. If there was one thing he loved, it was ruining the noble's traditions and then mocking them. "I don't want to spend hours discussing something so simple."

"You really need to learn your place," Sanaki warned Ike. "No, you know what, just forget it. Ike, I am appointing you the position of general of the combined forces that make up my army."

"Hold on a second!" Ike roared he didn't want to be general again, he detested the very thought of it. "Surely General Zelgius is far more suited for the position then I am!"

"General Ike, please calm yourself," Sigrun pleaded with the furious man.

"General Zelgius has returned to Begnion to rescue Sephiran from prison," Sanaki stated flatly while examining her fingernails. She wanted to seem disinterested but on the inside she was terrified by the man in front of her. "That leaves you to take on the role of general, and don't even think of pawning the position off on someone else. Think for a moment before you open that mouth of yours again. Who else on the entire continent commands respect form both laguz and beorc? Who else is trusted and loved by all the nations represented here? Who is more fitting for the role then you? No one, that's who, anyone would willingly serve under you."

"I already accepted the job," Ike spat, he had just been played. They knew he would act this way and they used that to their advantage, now he was stuck. "I need no reminder of my past accomplishments or the number of people that respect me. I may not enjoy being general, but if that is what my employer whishes then I must obey. Just keep this in mind Sanaki; when all of this is over, you will be getting one hell of a bill."

"It will be worth every penny," Sanaki let out a sigh of relief, she was afraid that Ike might refuse her. "Take this as a down payment and a sign of gratitude from me."

"That's Ragnell," Ike gasped as Sigrun presented him with the golden sword. "I thought this was one of Begnion's national treasures, that's why I returned it after the Mad King's War. Why would you give it to me now?"

"I can't think of anyone better to give it to," Sanaki responded shrugging her shoulders and walking over to a large chest in the corner of the room. "You are a hero, the general of my army, and will be the savior of another nation. Here, this is also for you," Sanaki opened the chest to reveal a very large amount of gold, funds for the army.

"Thank you," Ike bowed to the young girl showing the first sign of respect to the higher ups he had ever shown. "I'll be going now. You've given me a tough job and I need to go discuss this with Soren and Titania."

"Allow Sigrun to escort you there," Sanaki grinned pointing to her guard standing nearby. "She could assist you in carrying all of this back to your room."

"No need for it," Ike grunted as he lifted the chest onto his left shoulder, taking a few moments to adjust his weight accordingly. He then picked Ragnell up in his right hand and headed for the door. "I'll be fine on my own."

"What about the doors?" Sanaki asked. Ike growled as he realized he couldn't open a door without setting everything down, which meant he would need to pick it all up again. "Sigrun, would you be as kind as to assist the foolish general and open the door for him?"

Sigrun strode over to where Ike stood and opened the door for him. He gave the knight a nod of gratitude before leaving the room, Sigrun followed after him. They both could hear Sanaki giggling as she closed the door behind the two of them.

"The nerve of that girl sometimes," Ike hissed as he readjusted the weight of the chest on his shoulder. "Who does she think she is? If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was trying to pair the two of us together."

"Let me help you with that," Sigrun said wanting to change the topic. Ike refused her help so she just continued to walk alongside him. The silence the enshrouded the air made both of them feel awkward, mostly thanks to Sanaki's actions.

Ike was headed straight for Soren's room; he needed to mage's genius and battle tactics. Sigrun followed behind Ike in silence, she really didn't want to talk. When they reached their destination Sigrun opened the door for Ike. She stood off to the side to allow him to enter, but he didn't.

"About what you were thinking the apostle was trying to do, you were right," Sigrun began shifting nervously. "No offense to you or anything, but I just don't like you in a romantic way. Is that all right with you?"

"I'm fine with it," Ike grinned. "I was actually trying to think of a way to say the same thing. Besides, Mist told me that you and Tanith look perfect together."

Ike kicked the door shut before Sigrun could respond. He would probably pay for that one later. Soren was sitting at his desk scribbling away on a piece of paper. Why was he always so busy, there couldn't always be work to do? The raven haired man looked up from his work as Ike dropped the chest of gold onto the ground making a loud crash. The sound of tinkling gold coins resettling themselves followed the crash. Soren returned to his work as Ike collapsed into one of the soft chairs in the room throwing Ragnell into a corner as he did so.

"I take it Apostle Sanaki succeeded in making you general," Soren spoke in his usual neutral voice. He didn't even look away from his work as he talked. "I'll go get Titania and then we can discuss our course of actions here when I return."

Ike merely nodded. He liked that idea of Soren fetching Titania instead of him. Soren rose to his feet and swiftly exited to room, leaving Ike alone. The man mulled over the days events as he awaited his friend's return. The door opened within a few minutes of Soren's departure, the raven haired mage returned with the paladin he was seeking in tow. Soren spread maps out on his desk while Ike and Titania gathered around him. The next few hours were spent arguing over every little detail of the army. Where to attack first? Which group would do what? Who to put on the front lines? Who would stay back and protect the apostle? In the end the three finally agreed on several points of importance. They would follow the path that the Laguz Alliance took through Begnion. The main force would consist of the Laguz Alliance, the Begnion troops, and the Greil Mercenaries. The Holy Guards and the Crimean Royal Knights would protect Apostle Sanaki.

The following week was spent in war meetings briefing all field officers of battle strategies; outfitting all of the troops properly and dividing the army up. Finally, the day to leave Melior and begin another war had come. Laguz and beorc stood assembled before their general, all of them waiting for the order to start the march to Begnion. Everyone was anxious for the fight to come.

"General Ike!" a scout shouted as he rushed to the front. "General Ike, I have dire news! It's the Daein army! They've massed at Oribes Bridge! They demand that we surrender the false apostle to them! They say that they'll use force if necessary!"

"Why does Daein want to fight against us?" Sanaki asked a look of confusion upon her face. "What are they thinking, we'd crush them?"

"Change of plans!" Ike shouted to the army. "We are going to march to Oribes Bridge and take care of the Daein army first!"

"Hmm," Soren thought for several moments. "This all seems a bit strange to me. I think the Begnion senators are pulling some strings behind the scenes some how."

"It doesn't matter now," Ike sighed. "Daein is a threat to us and in war all threats must be eliminated. We wouldn't be able to move forward effectively with danger pursuing at our backs."

"I guess history really does repeat itself," Soren sighed shaking his head. "We fought Daein at Oribes Bridge once before, now we must do it again."

Ike issued the order to march. Like water breaks through a cracked dam, so did the apostle's army break away from Melior. Thousands of men, horses and laguz departed from the city and made their way to Oribes Bridge. Ike marched on lost in thoughts of his own.

'_Daein has always been a thorn in my side_,' he thought remembering all the pain and agony that country had caused him. '_Now I can rid myself of them for good_.' Thoughts of the silver haired general crept into his mind, calming Ike down. '_Well, maybe not everything in Daein needs to be destroyed_,' Ike grinned as he thought about the beautiful girl.

**

* * *

**

I have a horrible feeling that people are going to want me dead when I'm done with this story. Oh well, they'll have to find me first. Sorry for taking so long in updating the story. I've been so busy as of late and I'm finding it hard to get time to just write. I don't know when I'll be able to get the next chapter up, it could be another week or it could be done soon. I really have no idea. Anyways, rate, review, comment, do whatever you want just leave something when you finish reading. I like knowing that people are reading this thing.


	8. Round Two

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

**

Wow, it's been about four weeks hasn't it? Sorry for taking so long, but I've been very busy with school and football, then more school. To top it all off I had a concussion for a while, so that slowed me down even more. But that's in the past and I'm better again. Enjoy this chapter.

**I don't have any connections to Fire Emblem. This disclaimer is really annoying, is it necessary?**

* * *

Ike leaned against the cold stone of the fort on the Crimean side of Oribes Bridge. He had his arms crossed and his chin rested on his chest. Ike waited in peace without anything better to do. The other leaders of Sanaki's army were anxious and couldn't remain still, Skrimir was the worst. The hot headed lion prince kept pacing back and forth, he occasionally stooped to grab a rock and then he would toss it violently. At least he was doing better then last night when he nearly rushed the enemy lines by himself in the dark. Ike looked up at the approaching sound of flapping wings. One of Begnion's Holy Guard flew towards them with a grim look upon her features. She landed and was about to give the formal introductions and just waste time, but Ike cut in.

"Well?" he asked. "What did they say?"

"Nothing sir," the pegasus rider responded. "They refused to even speak to me. By your leave."

Ike nodded for her to go and she mounted her steed and flew back to camp. Ike let out a long sigh before he attempted to say anything. He watched as Skrimir grinned widely and flexed his muscles then let them relax again. What was Micaiah thinking? He let her go free once so why was she attacking him again? It all seemed so stupid and pointless to Ike.

"I don't get it," Sanaki sighed, her purple hair swayed to and fro with the shaking of her head. "Why does Daein whish to fight with us? What have I done to provoke them into a fight? What did I do? Do they believe the senate's lies, is that it?" Sanaki searched the faces of each person around her for an answer. Finding none she let out another heavy sigh. "Ike, clear them out of our way. If they refuse to negotiate then they forfeit their lives."

"I understand Apostle Sanaki," Ike replied and Skrimir roared with joy for battle. Ike glared at the lion for his unnecessary outburst, but it did little good. "I want all units to refrain from joining this fight. I will hand pick a select unit to accompany me, but no more. Do I make myself clear?"

Skrimir started to protest but quickly remembered that he was no longer in charge, so he kept his mouth shut. Ike looked for any signs of distaste from the other generals, but saw none. Sanaki gave him a small smile and a wave as departed with her personal guards.

"What would you have us do in the mean time?" Skrimir growled trying to control his anger as best as he could. Ike noticed that the lion's shoulders were shaking slightly and he was clenching and unclenching his fists. "What are your orders for the rest of us?"

"I think it would be best for all of you to return to camp," Ike spoke slowly as he thought of a way to combat the Daein army. "Wait! Sigrun and Tanith, I'll need your help in this fight. The rest of you may go and spend the day as you see fit back at camp. Dismissed!"

"Why would you send us away?" Skrimir roared unable to contain himself any longer. "Why not just crush the enemy quickly and be done with Daein? We severely outnumber the enemy at least a hundred to one. We should storm the bridge with full force."

"I send most of our troops away because that would put us at a considerable disadvantage!" Ike yelled at the lion prince. "Look at the bridge and use your brain for once! The enemy may have considerably less troops then us, but the structure of Oribes Bridge would put us at a disadvantage! It is narrow with many barricades and probably traps! Plus Daein has set up several ballistae! Do you have any idea how much damage those things could do to large groups? I'm only taking a group large enough to overpower the Daein soldiers on the bridge to minimize our casualties! We're only clearing the bridge; I never said that you wouldn't get your chance to fight! You must be patient Skrimir! There will be plenty of fighting for you!"

The lion prince backed slowly away from the enraged Ike, he was surprised by the beorc's unwonted explosion. Ike regained his normal breathing and did his best to regain his composure before thinking of which units to bring. He dismissed the generals, aside from Sigrun and Tanith, when someone asked if it would be alright to leave. What would negate the elaborate set up Daein had prepared for him? What to do? Who to bring? How many units would he need? All of these questions raced through Ike's head and started to give him a headache. He growled slightly at his dilemma, then, the idea came to him. Cavalry and winged units would be able to quickly rush past all of the Daein barricades and traps. Now, which people to bring along? Ike decided to bring along the Crimean Royal Knights; Sigrun and Tanith; Mist, Oscar and Titania from the Greil Mercenaries; Jill and Haar and Janaff and Ulki. Ranulf walked towards Ike with a wide grin on his face. The cat would come too.

"Ulki, gather these units together!" Ike shouted and then recited his mental list of units.

Within half an hour all the troops Ike wanted were present and accounted for. The ground units stayed on one side huddled in a group, the flyers stayed in their group. Ike mentally went through his battle strategy once more before he relayed it to the soldiers.

"All right, listen up!" Ike shouted. "Our plan is to strike fast and hard, keep advancing. We will not give them a second to breathe. Any questions?" Makalov raised his hand. "Any questions that I actually care to hear?"

The pink haired man slumped in his saddle slightly and lowered his hand. A few people let out nervous laughs and Astrid attempted to console the embarrassed Makalov. No one else had anything to object to as far as Ike's simple and unoriginal strategy went.

"Good, now move out!" Ike roared and rushed towards Oribes Bridge.

Sigrun was in command of the flying units and Kieran would assume command of all ground units if Ike got left behind. The first line of Daein soldiers was a group of cavalry. The sound of hooves pounding stone surrounded Ike as his allies drew even with him. The enemy soldiers reared their steeds and charged into the oncoming force. One Daein soldier slumped forward in his saddle, as arms going limp and his weapon slipped out of his hand. An arrow protruded from the man's chest, one down. Another man and his horse were crushed beneath Haar's wyvern. The Daein soldiers immediately realized that they would be unable to hold out any longer and made a quick retreat to the next line. Mist healed any of the minor injuries that people received during the first bit of the battle. Ike prepared to move forward again, but something caught his attention. He looked up to see Sigrun waving her lance.

"Ike, Ike up here!" Sigrun shouted and pointed her lance to the south. "It's Tibarn, he's come! The king of hawks is here!"

Ike turned to look where Sigrun was pointing and sure enough, a large winged man flew over the edge of the bridge. Two more hawk laguz flew up behind him; they were nowhere near as large as their king. Tibarn had his usual grim face on and his arms were crossed over his scarred chest. He let out a loud amused laugh when he saw that the battle had not yet concluded. Tibarn flew over the rows of sandbags to join up with Ike's ground forces. The fliers landed temporarily to rest while they had time.

"I'm glad that we're not too late this time," Tibarn chuckled. "Back in Begnion you didn't leave us anyone to tear apart. You self centered mercenaries killed all of those crimson bastards without even having a second thought for me."

"Sorry about that Tibarn," Ike apologized, shaking his head slightly and grinning. "What are you doing here anyways? I thought you were back at camp with Reyson and the other herons."

"Yeah I was with the herons, but I figured being out here was a lot more fun," Tibarn explained. "You know Reyson; he wanted to come out here with me. So I knocked him out and tied him to his bed."

"Really?" Ike asked half shocked but half believing that would be something Tibarn would do.

"No, of course not," Tibarn laughed. "But I do have another dead weight slowing me down instead."

Ike noticed for the first time a small bit of white protruding from behind Tibarn's large body and wings. A golden head timidly poked out from behind one of Tibarn's wings. Familiar green eyes, golden hair and innocent face, it was Leanne. She smiled brightly at the soldiers assembled before her and gave a wave to all of them. Tibarn hit his head with the palm of his hand.

"You listen up missy," Tibarn groaned. "You herons are supposed to be more like Rafiel. You know, quiet and graceful and what not. Don't do anything stupid."

"Pay him no mind," Ranulf grinned and bowed mockingly. "We are honored by your presence and would gladly defend you from any fiend that would dare harm you."

"Alright, enough small talk!" Ike ordered. "Mount up and move out! Tibarn, I want you and your hawks to hang back during this fight. I already selected the units I wanted. You are not needed in this fight."

Tibarn grumbled slightly at not being able to fight, but soon took off from the battlefield. The two hawks left with him, desperately trying to keep pace with their king. Sigrun ordered all flying units into the air once more; Kieran charged forward with the other ground units and Ike hung back with Ranulf and Leanne. The blue haired mercenary motioned for the two laguz to follow him and then he sprinted after the ground force.

"Take cover!" Kieran shouted as a boulder shattered amongst the cavaliers wounding several of their horses. "Pull back, pull back!"

All the ground units retreated out of range of Daein's nearest ballista. Mist dismounted her horse and began to rush about to any injured soldier or horse. No one received any serious damage, but their wounds were enough to be cause for concern. Another boulder crashed into the ground nearby, shattering on impact and shards of rocks cascaded down on both soldiers and animals. Ike ducked behind a wall of sandbags as another projectile shattered on the ground. He attempted to advance; however, Ike found that Daein had blocked the path with ditches and magical barriers.

"Sigrun!" Ike shouted as another boulder exploded, showering him with sharp rocks. "Sigrun, get down here! Tell your units to land! Get down here!"

The commander of the Holy Guard landed along with the rest of the flying units. Both ground and air forces huddled behind the walls of sandbags for protection against the barrage of stone. Sigrun patiently awaited Ike's orders. She hardly flinched as shard of rock shattered the armor around her head.

"Let me ride behind you," Ike commanded. "We need to get some units over there to stop that damned thing. We're sitting ducks if we stay here much longer."

Sigrun nodded and mounted her pegasus. Ike clambered up behind her, holding onto her with one hand and gripping Ragnell with the other. He wasn't ever fond of flying, or even the idea of flying, but it needed to be done. Ike tapped Sigrun's shoulder, signaling that he was ready.

"Take to the skies!" Sigrun ordered all flying units. Her winged horse snorted and shook his mane in protest to the added weight of Ike. "Come on," Sigrun coaxed her mount. "Just for a little while. Come on, you can do this."

Slowly, they rose into the air with the other flying units. All were waiting for their orders. Ike looked down at Oribes Bridge far below and his stomach nearly emptied itself. He felt dizzy and out of place in the sky. He suppressed his discomfort as best as possible and surveyed the battlefield below. Ike was looking for a space large enough for Sigrun to land and let him off. Seeing none that would allow both of them to remain relatively safe, Ike changed his plan.

"Everyone but Sigrun, fly past the first ballista and engage the enemy," Ike shouted above the howling wind. "Sigrun, I want you to fly high and dive at the ballista. Sling shot me at the archer operating the thing."

Sigrun nodded and signaled for the others to move out. Immediately they were bombarded with a storm of arrows and magic. Ike was nearly thrown off of Sigrun's pegasus as she veered sharply to the left. Ike held on to her more tightly after he regained his balance. They broke into a spiraling dive as several arrows whizzed through the air where they had been moments before. Sigrun tried to regain their lost altitude, but was having a very difficult time doing so. She pulled back on the reins abruptly, jarring Ike and nearly sending him off again. Wind magic ripped apart the air in front of them. The offending mage was already working on another spell. Sigrun leaned over in her saddle and hurled her spear at the spell caster. The spear passed through his chest, leaving a gaping hole. The man collapsed and Sigrun drew her silver sword.

"Nice throw," Ike complimented the knight as they regained altitude.

Sigrun nodded and urged her mount to hasten towards the still operational ballista. They flew higher and higher above the bridge, so as not to be seen when they strike. Sigrun pulled on the reigns and they came to a stop hovering high in the clouds. The bridge below seemed small almost like a part of a model on display. Ike hoisted himself into a crouching position. He held onto Sigrun's shoulder for support as they dove straight for the ground. Ike's eyes streamed tears as the rushing wind beat mercilessly at them. The ground was fast approaching.

"Now!" Sigrun shouted and she pulled on the reigns, turning sharply to the right.

Ike kicked hard off of the hide of the pegasus, propelling himself towards the ballista at immense speed. He was moving faster then he had ever anticipated. The Daein soldier operating the ballista looked up just in time to see Ike's body flying towards him. The impact of their collision sent the soldier tumbling across the surface of the bridge, Ike not far from him. Ragnell skidded away from its owner and came to a halt, teetering on one of the bridges edges. Ike was on his feet first, he lunged at his dazed opponent. The Daein soldier didn't have the strength to put up a struggle as Ike continuously punched him in the face with the steel knuckles on his gloves. Two more Daein soldiers charged at the unarmed mercenary. Ike parried a strike from a sword with his arm guard and spun away from a stab from a lance.

"Ike, behind you!" Tanith shouted from somewhere above.

The blue haired man dove to his left as a blast of wind magic shattered the surface of the bridge. Ike rolled to a stop and leapt to his feet just in time to dodge another strike from the swordsman. The halberdier stabbed once again at the mercenary commander, but Ike grabbed hold of the lance. He then pulled it out of the Daein soldier's hands and stabbed it into him. Ike held the lance awkwardly; he was not used to the way it felt in his hands. He glanced back at his allies. They were still stranded behind the barricades Daein had set up. Ike looked towards the Daein side of the bridge once more to see a squad of cavalry coming towards him.

"Sigrun, Ike needs help!" Tanith called to her superior officer.

Ike positioned himself in a defensive stance, doing his best to compromise with the weapon he had. He side stepped the first soldier and lanced to second out of his saddle. The sound of machinery met Ike's ears over the din of battle. He took a quick glance past the charging Daein cavalry, his azure eyes widened at what he saw. Two more operation ballistae had just begun firing at him and the enemies around him. Ike attempted to run from the oncoming boulders, but he didn't get far enough away. The impact shook the ground, taking Ike's out from beneath him and filling his back with shards of rock.

"Damnit," Ike growled as the pain in the back half of his body gripped him.

He looked up to see that a good number of Daein soldiers had also been severely wounded or killed by the ballistae. Ike fought against the pain and stood up as best as he could. His legs refused to fully stabilize and he stumbled about trying to regain his balance. Ike looked again at the Daein cavalry to see that the ground force had engaged them. He let out a sigh of relief at his good luck.

"No! Get away from me you fucking sub-human!" someone shrieked behind Ike. "No! Fucking beast!"

Ike turned around to see a blue cat standing on top of a soldier clad in ebon armor. The cat slashed his claws along the man's throat and a spray of blood shot past the blue fur. The laguz shifted back into Ranulf. The cat laguz grimaced when he saw the state of his friend.

"You look like shit," Ranulf commented.

"Yeah, well it's still a step above you," Ike shot back with a pained smile.

"Oh, is that so?" Ranulf grinned. He was glad to hear his friend insult him, strange as it may be. "Well, I think that we can sit the rest of this one out. Look at how quickly our force has moved right past the last of the ballistae. I think that the fighting might even be over."

Ike nodded and limped away to find Ragnell. He nearly fell to his knees when he stepped on a cracked surface on the bridge. Ranulf strode over to Ike and just looked down on his friend. Ranulf's blue tail swished back in forth behind him as he watched his friend struggle to stand up again.

"Do you need a hand?" the cat laguz asked. Ike looked at him and nodded.

"Ike, what the hell happened to you?" Mist screamed as she rode towards her brother. "Why are you always so reckless when you fight? Don't think I didn't see that little stunt you pulled with Sigrun! You were lucky to survive that, but then you had to go and start fighting without a weapon! I couldn't find you when the barrier dissipated. I thought that…"

Mist's voice faded into silence and she bowed her head. Ike looked up into her face and could see tears streaming down her cheeks. Ranulf shifted uncomfortably, not sure what to do or say in this situation. Mist finally dismounted her horse and stood before her brother with her staff in hand. Ike lay down on the ground and his sister began to tentatively pull away the shredded cloth on his back. The blue haired man winced as Mist pulled out strands of his cape and shirt that had caught on the rock and were stuck inside him.

"Ike, look up there," Ranulf pointed towards the Daein side of Oribes Bridge.

There, on the cliff overlooking Oribes Bridge where Ike had stood years before was a cluster of Daein heroes. Ike didn't know most of them, but two stood out from the rest of the group. One was his old friend Sothe, the other was Micaiah. Her silver hair shimmered in the sunlight while the wind teased it. Her golden eyes looked so sad and forlorn. Ike couldn't help but want to go and hold her close to him, to comfort her and protect her from the troubles of the world.

"Micaiah," Ike whispered to himself but Ranulf heard him.

"Yes that is Micaiah, but she's not the one were looking at lover boy," the blue cat teased. "Do you see that man there, in the back of that group? He is a Begnion senator or at least he's pretty high up in the social class. Look at the clothes he's wearing. Those are definitely not standard Daein garb even for nobles."

The army began to cross the bridge as Daein retreated, but Ike took no notice. Mist had left to go find Rhys to help her with Ike's back. However, the mercenary commander couldn't care less. His mind was filled with images of a certain Daein general. Some of the images running through his mind were from the past, others were dreams he had. Ike growled as he realized that as long as this war was going on he could never be with Micaiah. Worthless politics! Always fucking everything good in life up!

"Micaiah, how can we be together?" Ike mused to himself as legions of troops marched past him.

He thought up scenarios in his head. He thought of what would happen if he did one thing or another. Slowly but surely, Ike began to formulate a plan in his mind. He could be with Micaiah if this idea of his did indeed work. It would need to be perfected and changed over time, but it would be his best bet. Ike grinned at his own genius. As an after thought, he wondered if this was how Soren felt when he came up with each and every amazing battle strategy.

**

* * *

**

This was actually very different from the original chapter I wrote, but who cares? I thought this one was better so it got published. Ike's scheming and plotting, very uncharacteristic of him. What will happen in the next chapter? I guess you'll need to read it when I update, which will be occurring more often since football season is over for my team. Reviews please, I'm open to all kinds of feedback. Criticism, praise, advice, anything makes me happy.


	9. Some Down Time

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

**

I just want to say thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I'll try to catch the little mistakes that I've been making. That being said, here is chapter 9. It takes place from Micaiah's point of view.

**I don't lay claim to anything having to do with Fire Emblem.**

**ENJOY**

* * *

Micaiah grimaced at the priest sitting in a chair by her bed. He had a flask filled with several powdered herbs dissolved in water. The silver haired girl took the flask from the priest and gave him a weak smile. She looked into the container and saw the murky solution within. It gave off a horrid, potent stench that made Micaiah's stomach turn unpleasantly. She delayed as best as she could, but the priest was not a patient man and there were many other people that he needed to tend to. He cleared his throat and gave Micaiah a stern glare, silently ordering her to drink the medicine. She tentatively put the lip of the flask to her mouth, and with a slight groan, tilted her head back. The medicine was thick and had a very coarse feel to it. Micaiah nearly gagged as the foul liquid passed over her tongue, it tasted far worse then it smelled. Satisfied that his patient had at least taken some of her medicine, the priest stood up and left the room. Micaiah groaned slightly before downing the rest of the medicine. As bad as it tasted she knew it that it would help her to recover more swiftly.

With the flask emptied of its contents Micaiah set it on the table by her bed. With an exhausted sigh, she pulled the sheets tight around her body. She snuggled into her pillow and basked in the warmth of the room, happy to be out of the frigid air. One good thing about being discharged from the army was being able to rest peacefully for once. Micaiah could feel sleep taking hold of her body and she welcomed it whole heartedly. Unfortunately, the room was not to remain peaceful for very long. The door was flung open wildly and crashed against the wall. The sound reverberated throughout the room. Micaiah pulled the covers over her head in a feeble attempt to drown out the noise.

"Sothe, please be quiet," the familiar voice of Tauroneo pleaded. "Let Lady Micaiah rest. Sothe are you even listening to a word I'm saying?"

"I just need to check on her," the green haired rogue countered. "Hey Micaiah, wake up!"

Micaiah ignored him, trying her best to pretend to be asleep. However, Sothe was not about to let her just rest. He pulled the covers off of her face and began to shake her shoulder. Micaiah couldn't stand Sothe's actions a second longer.

"What?" she growled sitting up abruptly. "I'm trying to sleep and you come barging in here making an unseemly ruckus, pull the covers off of me and then start to shake me! What on this planet could be so urgent that you couldn't wait a few hours to let me rest?"

Sothe backed up several steps. His mouth opened and closed multiple times but he never spoke a word. Micaiah continued to glare at him, waiting for an explanation. Tauroneo finally grabbed Sothe's arm and dragged him out of the room. The old general poked his head back in and apologized for the disturbance, and then closed the door quietly. Micaiah fell back on her bed letting out an agitated sigh as she did. She pulled the covers tight around her body and attempted once more to fall asleep. She felt bad about losing control like that and yelling at Sothe, but what he did was unnecessary. Micaiah rubbed her temples as sleep continued to evade her grasp. She let her mind wander hoping that random thoughts and memories could help make her tired.

Thoughts of the war were the first to pop into her mind's eye. Unpleasant and ghastly images were far from what she wanted to see at the moment, so Micaiah pushed them away. Her friends were what came next. She smiled as she remembered Edward, Leonardo and Laura's performance. However, Sothe's image soon brought feelings of regret and sorrow. Micaiah groaned as she realized that she was more awake now then ever before.

"Come on body, just go to sleep," Micaiah pleaded with herself, but to no avail. "Isn't there anything that can help me sleep?"

The silver haired girl let her mind wander once more, desperately hoping to find some way to fall asleep. Images of the war began to creep into her thoughts once more. Micaiah just let her past flood her mind. She managed to sleep well enough while fighting; maybe memories of conflict could put her to rest now. Micaiah thought of how Daein even got into the war in the first place, the first encounter with the Laguz Alliance and then the fight against Ike. She blushed when she thought of the tall mercenary commander. He may be her enemy, but that didn't stop her from loving his appearance. Micaiah remembered how nice he had been to her and her soldiers. Ike could have easily slaughtered the entire Daein army if he had wanted to, but he didn't. Their last encounter he had let Daein live again by not pursuing her fleeing troops. Micaiah buried her face in her pillow imagining that it was not a pillow, but Ike's muscled chest; she imagined that the covers surrounding her were Ike's strong arms wrapped tightly around her small body. It felt good to pretend and she slowly drifted off into a content slumber filled with romantic dreams.

Micaiah stirred from her dreams slowly. She could her voices speaking in hushed whispers. She groaned inwardly at these sounds. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? Why couldn't she get a little bit of time to herself for just rest and relaxation? The door suddenly opened with a loud crash and frantic feet rushed to Micaiah's bedside.

"Micaiah, what happened out there?" a familiar voice asked. She immediately recognized it to be Pelleas's and whished that he would just go away if he thought she was asleep. "I heard that you-"

"Shut up," Sothe hissed from the foot of the bed. "Can't you see she's sleeping? Let her rest a little."

If she wasn't pretending to be asleep at the moment Micaiah would have loved to point out how hypocritical Sothe was being. He had done just what Pelleas just did sometime earlier. Micaiah just kept her mouth shut and continued to listen to what was being said.

"I'm sorry," Pelleas apologized. "Perhaps you could tell me what happened in Micaiah's stead. I do not whish to disturb her rest after all. So Sothe, what happened out there?"

"We lost," Sothe stated flatly. "Plain and simple. We were just severely out classed in that battle. We had more troops, barricades, traps and siege weapons all set up and they still overpowered us. Victory will never be our, I hope that you are aware of that. Further fighting would only result in more deaths for us. We can't win this war."

"The outcome of that battle was terribly unfortunate," Pelleas sighed ignoring Sothe's advice. "Could you tell me what is ailing Micaiah and when she is expected to get better?"

"Sure," Sothe responded hesitantly. "She is suffering from extreme exhaustion and won't be able to do anything for at least a week. The priest who tended to her said that she will have to remain in bed for at least five days without any type of activity and as little stress as possible."

"That's wonderful," Pelleas exclaimed delightedly. "Not that she's ill or anything like that but that she will be alright. What makes it even better is that she will recover in only a week's time. That is the best news I've heard in a while. Our army will be able to function once more in just one week. We still have a job to do you know?"

Micaiah heard a loud thud and a terrified shriek, she assumed was from Almedha. She could hear the sounds of a fierce struggle and felt several jolts as something collided with her bed. Micaiah sat up and observed what had just happened. Tauroneo was fighting to keep a very red Sothe under control and Pelleas was sitting on the ground with his mother fretting over him. Micaiah leaned craned her neck to get a better view of Pelleas and saw that the young king had blood pouring freely from his nose. She began to glean what had just occurred. Sothe must have punched Pelleas.

"You miserable peasant!" Almedha screamed at Sothe. "How dare you lash out like that against your king, my son. You should be hung for such an act. Don't worry my dear Pelleas, mother is her to protect you."

"He doesn't deserve to be king!" Sothe shouted back. "He's a spineless coward who is going to destroy the country of Daein!"

"W-w-we have to k-keep fighting," Pelleas stammered in response. "We must fight."

"Shut the fuck up you selfish bastard!" Sothe spat at the young king. "If the apostle's army, who we shouldn't be fighting, doesn't kill Micaiah, you will! She works herself to death to please you and the people of Daein! She doesn't spare a moment for herself, ever! Do you know why? Because she doesn't have any time to herself, that why! Do you have any idea how hard Micaiah actually works? Do you know how hard we've all been fighting? Can you even fathom how much stress we deal with on a daily basis? No! Micaiah hardly sleeps! Every waking moment is devoted to work! She sometimes misses meals! All of us do! It's all thanks to you! You want to be the obedient little bitch of Begnion, that's fine by me! You can go to hell you worthless sack of shit!"

The entire room fell into a dead silence. No one moved, no one spoke, no one even dared to breathe. Pelleas couldn't believe what Sothe had just said, no one could. All looked at the still furious youth. Sothe just glared at King Daein who was still on the floor.

"I-I-I-I'm, I'm," Pelleas stuttered trying to find words but his mind remained blank.

"You're an asshole!" Sothe snapped. "A selfish weak asshole!"

"Sothe, you need to control yourself," Tauroneo grabbed onto the rogue's shoulder as he spoke. "Calm down a little before you speak or act again."

"I'm taking Micaiah and we're going to leave this place for good," Sothe growled just loud enough so that Pelleas could hear him. "I won't let you abuse her any longer. I stayed only because Micaiah wanted to help Daein, but you have ruined this country. Your father, Ashnard, was a far better king then you are or ever will be."

Pelleas shied away at Sothe's comment as if it were white hot iron burning away his flesh. The king's eyes flicked from one person to the next, searching for some kind of assistance but finding none. He rose to his feet and straightened out his ruffled clothing. Once he was satisfied with his appearance, Pelleas turned to Sothe.

"I forbid any of you from leaving this army," Pelleas spoke forcefully adding emphasis to each word.

"Lady Micaiah has done more then enough already," Tauroneo spoke up. "Let her go Your Majesty. Let her go live her life in peace, as she sees fit."

"No," Pelleas stated coldly. "If Micaiah leaves the army, she'll die."

Tauroneo reached for Sothe, but the young man was far too quick. The green haired rogue grabbed Pelleas by the collar of his shirt and ran him into a wall. Sothe glared at the king drawing a knife and placing it against his neck.

"Threaten Micaiah again," Sothe hissed. "Do it, I dare you. Do it and see what happens."

"It's not just Micaiah," Pelleas gasped. "Her, you, me, every person in Daein will die. It's all my fault too."

"You didn't, did you?" Almedha asked her son absolutely mortified. "You didn't sign a blood pact, did you? Come, let mother see your mark. You can tell me the truth. Show me your mark, it's all right."

Reluctantly, Pelleas rolled up the sleeve covering his left arm exposing an extravagant black tattoo. Almedha let out a distressed cry when she saw the fluid markings on her son's wrist. Sothe looked from Pelleas to Almedha, he didn't believe in any of this. He shook his head.

"Bullshit," Sothe growled. "It isn't true. None of this is true. It's just some stupid ghost story to get little kings to behave and eat their vegetables. I don't believe it for a second."

"You're wrong Sothe," Micaiah spoke for the first time during the conversation. All people in the room turned to look at her, they had completely forgotten about the silver haired general.

Sothe rushed immediately to her side and began to bombard her with question about her health. Micaiah answered several of the rogue's questions before ignoring him and returning her attention to the blood pact.

"Is there any way out of a blood pact?" she asked.

"No, none exist," Pelleas cried out in anguish. "There is no way out of a blood pact. I have signed the death warrant for the country of Daein. We are doomed to perish. Nothing can save us from this fate. I have been crowned king during Daein's final days."

"During Daein's darkest days," Micaiah corrected the distraught king. "I'm certain that there is a way out of this pact. There has to be something that can reverse or break the curse. Check the library, check the archives, check every book and scroll in Daein. There is most definitely something, you just have to find it."

"I don't think the senate will wait for us to figure a way to break the pact before invoking its curse," Pelleas groaned. "They'll realize that we're up to something and then destroy us."

"Not if they believe that we are obeying their orders," Micaiah pointed out. "You search for a way to break the curse and we'll stall the apostle's army. We'll give you as much time as we can, but I can't guarantee that it will be a lot. Search as quickly as you possibly can. The sooner you find a way to break the pact, the more Daein lives will be spared."

"Thank you Micaiah," Pelleas spoke excitedly. "You have given me hope when all seemed lost. Thank you again Micaiah."

The king dashed from the room, white robes billowing behind him. He had a new found hope, a new resolve. Pelleas would find a way to save his country from his fatal mistake. Daein would not be dogs of the senate for much longer. Micaiah fell back on her bed, which got the attention of both Sothe and Tauroneo. The silver hair girl rolled over onto her stomach and hugged her pillow close to her face. The two men in the room looked at each other to see if the other understood what Micaiah was doing. A muffled scream snagged back their attention. Micaiah rolled onto her back again, her face slightly red from expelling so much oxygen from her body. She pulled the covers up around her body and snuggled against her pillow once more.

"Um, Micaiah are you alright?" Sothe asked timidly. "You're not acting like yourself."

"Just tired," was all the response the rogue got before Micaiah disappeared under the sheets. "Go away and let me rest. I'm leaving the strategizing to you two this time. I'm not able to focus on anything right now."

"Come on Sothe," Tauroneo called out to the green haired youth. "Leave her be. Besides, we have to come up with a better battle plan then the last one if we want to stall the apostle's forces."

Micaiah listened as two sets of footsteps made their way to the door. She listened as it opened and closed. She was alone again. Micaiah let out a deep sigh. She didn't want to fight anymore. She didn't want anyone else to die under her command. The silver haired girl shuddered as she remembered her visit to the medical tent during their campaign at the Ribahn River. War was unnecessary, but people just seemed to want to fight. Micaiah drowned out bad memories and replaced them with thoughts of Ike as she drifted into a disturbed nightmare filled with the atrocities of war.

* * *

**I'm moving a little more slowly then I had originaly thought I would, but it is something I feel will improve the story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter because it will be a while before I can update again because I'm going to go have surgery. Fun, I know. Anyways, leave a review. You know the drill.**


	10. An Awkward Situation

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

**

It feels like forever since I last updated this story and I'm really sorry for that. I am still trying to find my notebook (if you don't get this then check my profile), but I have come up with a chapter despite that. It wasn't apart of my original "plan" but I don't really care. Anyways, this chapter will mostly just be filler and it's going to follow Ike. It will probably be shorter then the others too.

**To answer some comments that I received from the past chapters, I never meant for Ike and Micaiah to fall head over heels in love. It was supposed to be a strong physical attraction that consumed their thoughts, but looking back I realize that I made it sound like they did love each other. Another thing, Micaiah did not lose sleep over Ike. She was using his image as a way to distract her from the harshness of war and just be the young woman she is. He was a comforting image to help her sleep. Also, I will do better to describe places as well as people. Thank you for your comments and keep reading.**

**Disclaimer: Fire Emblem belongs to its creators. NOT ME!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Ike glanced at the surrounding Daein landscape. It was bleak and dreary, just as it had been when he was here before. The mountainous region was not an ideal place for vegetation. As a result the terrain was mostly gray stone or brown soil. Ike let out a sigh; the depressing environment was really starting to affect his mood. Apostle Sanaki had asked King Pelleas for permission to pass through Daein, but that was days ago. The army had long since started marching along the southern border. A chill wind ripped through the line of marching troops causing all of them to shiver. Ike hugged his fiery red cape tighter around his body. Winter was fast approaching and Daein winters were always the worst. Another gust of wind tore through the thin fabric of Ike's cape and he cursed under his breath.

Ike frowned at the overcast sky above his head. He hated Daein winters, he hated the cold and he hated this whole war. The sooner it was over the better. Rubbing his hands on his bare arms to warm them up a bit, Ike continued marching. The wind never once let up during the day, biting at any uncovered flesh and slipping through clothes. The laguz were least effected by the weather, but even they were beginning to complain about the cold weather. The beorc soldiers from Begnion were the worst off. They had begun marching in late summer and had not brought suitable clothing for such a cold climate. Ike called a halt to their marching for the day as the light began to fade from the world.

The soldiers all rushed to the supply caravan to gather their tents and fire wood. The entire camp buzzed with activity for the next hour. When all trivial matters had been sorted out and the tents had been pitched, Ike made his way to his own tent to retire. Ike pulled back the tent flap and took a step inside when he noticed the small empress examining something inside. She had her back to him so she didn't see him enter. Ike groaned and debated whether to stay or go somewhere else. Deciding that it would be better to stay, he cleared his throat to get Sanaki's attention. She spun around startled by his sudden appearance.

"H-how dare you sneak up on me like that!" the short girl snapped at Ike. "Be more courteous and address your approach like a true noble would."

"There's problem number one, I'm not a noble," Ike stated flatly. "And number two, I didn't expect to see you in my tent. So tell me, why are you here?"

Sanaki averted her gaze immediately, blood started to rise to her face. She fumbled with her hands, searching for some sort of excuse. Ike looked at the girl before him. The image brought back memories from his first encounter with Micaiah. She had acted in a very similar fashion to the way Sanaki was acting now. Sanaki's golden eyes slowly made their way from Ike's feet to his cerulean eyes. She swallowed nervously as he held her gaze.

"I, um, wanted to speak to you about the situation of the army," Sanaki managed eventually, her voice lacking its usual sense of superiority.

"Liar," Ike said as he walked over to a length of fur he used for sleeping. He had learned that it worked far better then a cot did when it came to staying warm. "So why are you really here?"

Ike undid the strap across his chest that held Ettard's sheath on his back. He dropped his sword next to the fur mat and then began to work on his sword belt. Tugging the length of leather off, he dropped Ragnell with its sheath on top of Ettard. With a sigh Ike lay down on the fur. Sanaki had watched him the entire time. Her face had become noticeably redder. Her face was nearly the same shade as the robes she wore. Closing his eyes, Ike placed his hands behind his head and did his best to relax even with Sanaki in the room. He didn't take note of her blushing face.

"How dare you ignore me," the purple haired girl squeaked. "A-and who do you think you're calling a liar. I truly am interested in the well being of my soldiers. Now give me a report on our status."

"I don't have one," Ike sighed opening one eye and looking at Sanaki, noticing how red her face was for the first time. "Are you alright, you're face looks like your robes?"

Sanaki spun away instantly, trying to hide her face. Ike took her actions the wrong way. He thought she had turned away in anger due to the speed with which she had moved. Ike's mood immediately soured.

"You don't need to get so upset," the blue haired commander growled. "I was just concerned for you're health. You aren't used to marching around all day with an army and I thought that you might be coming down with something. I guess I was wrong to even bother."

Sanaki cringed as she listened to Ike speak. She turned back around to face him, slowly. Her eyes were towards the ground and her hands were wringing the folds of her robe. Ike's mood evened out immediately. He looked at the face of the empress, fearful that she was about to cry. One thing he never knew how to deal with was crying girls. He never felt comfortable around them. The last thing Ike wanted was Sanaki to start crying in his tent, it would feel awkward and he would never be able to relax. He was about to apologize when she began to speak.

"Ike, what do you think of me?" Sanaki asked her voice was barely above a whisper.

Sanaki's face lit up instantly with a bright crimson. Ike didn't know how to respond to her question. It was far too vague for him to give a decent answer to her. He pondered on the question wondering if there was double meaning behind it. Ike wasn't about to be tricked a second time by Sanaki's games. Little did he realize her question was very straight forward, she just wanted to know his opinion on her. The silence gnawed at both making them feel very awkward. Sanaki's eyes fell and Ike finally grasped the notion that the girl was getting at. To make sure he didn't understand, Ike tried to clarify Sanaki's question.

"What do you mean?" Ike asked nervous of what was to come. "Could you be more specific?"

"Didn't Sigrun ask you something or tell you anything?" Sanaki asked in an exasperated tone.

"What?" Ike asked utterly confused now. "What does Sigrun have to do with this? What are you talking about?"

"I guess not," the purple haired girl mused to herself. Taking a deep breath, she prepared for the question she had so desperately wanted to ask Ike since she had employed him as general of her army. "Ike, do you like me?"

The blue haired mercenary sat up immediately. His entire body went rigid. This is what he had feared. He stared back into Sanaki's hopeful eyes knowing full well the answer he had to give. Ike felt next to nothing for the young empress. She was pushy and arrogant, not something he really like about her. She really annoyed him at times with her little games too. Not to mention the fact that she believed that she was superior to the rest of the world. Sanaki was beautiful and had moments where she could be polite, but that was it. Ike really didn't like too much about Sanaki. He didn't want to answer her, but he had to do it and give a truthful answer too.

"Sanaki, I'm going to be completely honest with you here," Ike sighed dreading the next word he had to say. Those words would crush her, but she was strong and she would recover. "I can't return the feelings you have for me. I'm sorry, really sorry."

"Oh, um, that's not good," Sanaki fumbled over her words as she turned away. "Ike, I know it's a selfish request, but could you hold me? Just this once, please?"

He stared into her golden eyes filled with hope and about ready to burst with tears. As much as he wanted to deny her request, Ike felt he owed her something. He had just broken her heart. A simple hug was the least he could give her. Ike stood up and nodded to Sanaki. She took a timid step towards the tall man, but hesitated. She froze, unable to move. Ike waited for several moments before closing the distance in one stride. He pulled her close to his body. Sanaki gasped at the sudden contact and rush of warmth from Ike's body. Then she burst into tears. She sobbed into Ike's strong chest, her small hands clinging to his shirt. His arms held her tight to him as she shook with tears. Ike really didn't like this. He wanted to break the embrace. However, he held Sanaki until she finished crying.

"Thank you," the small voice of the young empress muttered.

Ike let his arms fall to his side and Sanaki stepped back. She used the sleeves of her robe to wipe her nose and dry the tears from her eyes. Any other situation and Ike would have pointed out how improper such behavior was for someone of Sanaki's status, but he held his tongue. Humor was not the best of ideas in the sad and awkward atmosphere that filled the tent. Sanaki slowly made her way to the exit. Ike suddenly felt compelled to say something comforting to her.

"Don't worry Sanaki," Ike said before he could stop himself. "I'm sure you'll find someone who loves and cares about you. That much I'm sure of."

Sanaki stopped and turned towards Ike. She gave him a weak smile, then, she left his tent. He growled at himself for saying anything. It sounded horribly stupid. How could he promise her anything? He couldn't see into the future.

"I need to go talk to Soren," Ike grumbled to no one and left his tent.

A gust of frigid air greeted him and Ike shivered. He wrapped his cape tighter around his body before walking down the rows of tents. His head swayed from left to right, seeking out the one tent in the entire camp that housed his friend. He spotted it not too far ahead and a row over. Ike made a bee line for the tent and entered as soon as he reached it. The inside was dimly lit by a single wax candle which cast shadows dancing on the walls. The candle sat on one corner of a table, the rest of it was covered in stacks of papers. Behind it all sat Soren, a pale boy with long black hair and crimson eyes. He glanced up as Ike entered. Without a word, Soren dipped his quill into a bottle of ink and continued to scratch away on a piece of paper. Ike walked up to the table.

"Mind the cup," Soren said suddenly pointing to a wooden cup filled with water.

Ike absentmindedly picked up one of the papers on Soren's desk and began to read over the figures on it. The paper was an old financial report from the Mad King's War. Ike dropped it back onto the table and searched for a more recent report. Soren set his quill down, laced his fingers and looked at his friend. His eyes flashed menacingly in the poor light. Ike returned to gaze.

"What's bothering you?" Soren finally asked. Ike didn't answer. "I know something is bothering you. You come in here and start to mess up my papers every time something is bothering you. I know you won't leave either. Not until you tell me at least. So tell me, what is bothering you?"

"It's Sanaki," Ike started.

"Oh, I get it now," Soren laughed cutting his friend off. "She has fallen for you, but you don't return her feelings. I take it she just told you and you rejected her."

"Yeah, how did you know?" Ike asked a little surprised and unnerved by how well his friend knew his situation.

"I just keep my eyes and ears open," Soren stated picking his quill up once more. "It wasn't hard. Sanaki has been following you around for some time now. In Melior she had Sigrun or Tanith follow you around. Sometimes she would tail you too. When we crossed Oribes Bridge she had one of her Holy Guards fly her over the battlefield. The entire time she was watching you. Still, I wouldn't worry yourself too much over Sanaki's feelings. She wasn't in love with you. It was nothing more then an innocent crush."

"It still hurts Soren," Ike whispered.

He thought back to the way he felt for Elincia and the feelings he still had for her. Ike shook his head to clear his mind. Those weren't exactly his fondest memories and he preferred to leave them buried deep within. Soren caught onto Ike's sudden mood change and raised a questioning eyebrow. However, the mercenary commander was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notices his friend's stare. Soren turned back to his work after a minute. The sound of scratching was all that filled the tent for a long time. The world outside grew darker, but the two men within the tent remained oblivious to the passing of time. There were voices of soldiers on their way to get their dinner that passed by. Then the voices passed again on their way to their tent. Still Ike and Soren remained where they were, in a separate world. That world was intruded upon when the tent flap was pulled back and two people entered.

"I figured I'd find you in here," Mist laughed at her brother's predictability. "I didn't see you at dinner and, well, I never see Soren at dinner. Is either one of you hungry? I brought two plates of food."

"You're too nice to them," Boyd said trying to take one of the plates of food Mist had in her arms. "Come on, neither one of them showed up for dinner. If you don't eat at the designated time then you don't eat at all."

Soren cleared a space on his desk by stacking the papers in the middle on either side. He then stood up, took a plate from Mist, returned to his desk and sat down. He thanked her for the food, but ignored it and continued to work. She let out a sigh, Soren would always be Soren. Turning to Ike, Mist half expected her brother to snatch the plate away and inhale the food. He didn't though. He just stood there leaning on Soren's desk. He had been like that for a long time now. Boyd and Mist looked at each other for an answer to Ike's unusual behavior. Soren not eating was normal, but Ike not eating was unheard of. Mist reached out and touched her older brother's arm. Ike spun about as if the contact had burned him. He looked at Mist and Boyd as if he were trying to remember who they were. He noticed the plate of food in his sister's hand and felt the pain of hunger in his stomach. Ike felt like he didn't want it, no, more like he didn't deserve it. He brushed past Mist and Boyd to exit the tent.

"I'm not hungry," Ike murmured as he left to go back to his own tent.

Mist handed Boyd the plate and ran after her brother. He wasn't acting like himself. She knew something was really bothering him if he skipped a meal. Boyd began to eat what was originally supposed to be Ike's dinner. The mercenary commander ignored the wind that stung at his face. He almost enjoyed the pain it brought. There were footsteps behind him, but he really didn't care. Why would anyone be running after him anyways? Ike found his tent and entered the darkness within. He didn't bother lighting a candle. He made his way to the length of animal fur and fell down on it. Ike listened as someone entered his tent.

"Ike," Mist called timidly in the dark. "Ike are you in here?"

The blue haired man grunted at his sister. He heard her stumble around trying to find him. Eventually she found where he was laying and took a seat next to him. Ike couldn't see her face in the dark, but he knew what it would look like. Her brow would be knitted together, her blue eyes would be full of worry and her lips would almost look like they were pouting. Yes, that was how his sister looked when she was concerned for him. Ike felt a small hand touch his face. It was cold from the air outside, but the gesture held warmth.

"Ike, tell me what's wrong," Mist asked her older brother. "I've never seen you act this way before and it's really scaring me."

"Do you remember me telling you how beautiful I thought Elincia was when we first rescued her?" Ike asked and his sister nodded. "How much I liked her and how that simple attraction grew into love? Do you remember how-" Ike stopped, unable to continue. He didn't want to unbury these memories, but was having a difficult time explaining his situation without telling Mist about them. "Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"I think so," the brunette said slowly.

"Well, Sanaki told me something today," Ike paused trying to think of what to say next. "She asked me if I liked her and I told her no. I know I really hurt her and that's what has been bothering me."

"Would you like to talk about it, Ike?" Mist asked her brother while running a hand through his hair.

He let his sister's soothing hand calm him while he thought on what he wanted to do. Ike finally nodded his head. He told Mist about everything from the Mad King's War to the events that had occurred that day. He poured his feelings into his sister, opening up like never before. They talked into the early hours of the morning. Finally, exhausted Mist left to go to her tent that she shared with Boyd. Ike, feeling much better, went to sleep. He would need to be up in a few hours and he had to get at least some rest. The Daein army could attack at any time after all.

**

* * *

**

I hope that these chapters are written better then my previous ones. My number one goal is to get better. That and to make all of you guys enjoy the stories I'm writing. Anyways, this is getting really close to my favorite part. What that is you ask? Well it will come up soon, so be patient. Rate and review please.


	11. Third Times the Harm

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

**

I would like to apologize for my long absence and inability to update my story. My computer was having hardware issues. I also had a virus and needed to replace the fan. That's all in the past though and I can move on once more with this story. Oh and by the way it was this chapter in the game that really kind of motivated me to write this fanfic in the first place.

**Still don't have legal ownership of Fire Emblem or Nintendo or any other awesome company/product**

**ENJOY!**

_

* * *

_

Benevolent Ashera, I beg of thee to give strength to me on this day. Bless me with the ability to defend my men, my country, and my friends without whom I would be lost. Show us the path to victory over our foe of superior numbers. Also, I ask you to pardon the foul deeds that we are about to commit here this day. I had no desire to do such things, but circumstances have called for drastic measures. Be understanding and merciful whilst judging the souls of those who perish on the field of battle in this desolate place here today. Here me, please.

Micaiah opened her eyes, prayer finished. The darkness of her tent was all that welcomed her. Battle was imminent and that knowledge weighed heavily on the Daein general. She had no desire to do battle with these people and had no reason to either. Micaiah turned as someone pulled the flap on her tent back flooding the area with blinding light compared to the prior black. She winced at the sudden change and closed her eyes. A dark silhouette entered the tent and let the flap fall back to its original position. Everything was once again returned to darkness. Micaiah reopened her eyes to see who had entered. She found a grim looking Sothe looming several feet away. The silver haired general could make out the shape of his body and just about every other aspect of him, all except his eyes. Micaiah hated it when she couldn't see someone's eyes. That scared her more than anything. Sothe stepped forward and Micaiah's uneasiness passed as the rouge's entire face came into view.

"They're on the move. Almost here. You're needed," his speech was unnaturally hasty and fragmented but the meaning behind the words was clear.

Micaiah rose to her feet. She paused, delaying the horrid task that awaited her just beyond the thick fabric of her tent. Outside in the cold Daein winter was nothing but pain and death. She whished that violence could be avoided, that lives didn't have to be ended by her hand, and it was another one of her desires that would go unanswered. Sothe noticed Micaiah's hesitation. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but the silver haired woman pulled away immediately and exited her tent. Sothe stood rooted to the ground momentarily before following Micaiah at a distance.

The bleak mountains of Daein's southern border were well known for their ferocious winters and this year's was promising to be worse then usual. No snow had yet fallen but it was freezing and the wind which created eerie noises as it passed was relentless. The constant howling sounded like screams that echoed off the stony faces of the mountains. Micaiah looked at the portion of the army that was with her. They were all covered in thick coats lined with fur that they draped over their armor. Micaiah shivered and desperately whished that she had brought something warmer to wear other then her general's outfit. The silver haired woman pulled her blue cloak tighter around her small frame but it offered very little relief against the harsh winds.

A pained wail caught the attention of all Daein soldiers. All eyes turned to Micaiah they anxiously waited for her orders. It was obvious the sound had not been the wind. There were too many different tones in it. No, that was the unmistakable sound of the dying which they had all become too familiar with. The strike force must have engaged with the apostle's army. Micaiah glanced at the faces of the soldiers standing at the ready, she stared at the barrels of oil and the boulders stationed at the edged of the cliff, and she gave an apologetic look to her friends.

"Archers get the barrels into position, everyone else will lay low until the enemy is directly below us," the silver haired general ordered. "We can't let them go any further. We must stop them here and now."

The cliff tops buzzed with activity as soldiers rushed about trying to add last minute adjustments to the position of boulders. The Dawn Brigade members made their way to their positions, Micaiah walked behind them at a distance of several feet. She stumbled and nearly fell as a sudden wave of exhaustion drained her strength. She straightened up, panting slightly, and continued to her post amongst her friends. As Micaiah walked her mind became foggy, she felt weak, and she stumbled once more. The small woman smiled a sad smile, her prayers had gone unanswered.

Ahead of Micaiah a large wolf paused and glanced back. Volug spotted the small frame of the one he was assigned to protect stumbling and staggering. He turned around and trotted over to Micaiah who was having trouble just walking in a straight line. Volug fell in step with the woman as she struggled on. His head reached halfway up her chest as he nuzzled her. Micaiah looked down into the deep violet eyes of her personal body guard and smiled. Those beautiful orbs were full of concern, a look that the silver haired woman received from only Sothe. Micaiah wove her fingers between his silky black fur and used Volug to support herself as she walked.

With preparations complete all that was left was waiting for the apostle's army to arrive. The sound of thousands of feet and hooves colliding with the hard stone of the mountains soon reached the ears of the Daein soldiers. Micaiah clenched her fists tightly. There was no turning back now. She nearly jumped out of her skin when someone tapped her shoulder. She wheeled about to find a soldier standing at attention. Micaiah nodded for him to give his report.

"General Ike is with the laguz portion of the army that is currently engaged with our strike force. General Tanith of the Begnion Holy Guards is commanding the units moving on our position. The apostle is with her as well."

Micaiah's ears perked up at this bit of information. If she could dispatch the apostle then there would no longer be a need to fight. Of course that also meant that the senate would have complete control of Begnion, but at least Daein will have survived. That was all that mattered at this point. Micaiah dismissed the soldier and returned to waiting. She swayed to and fro as her focus dimmed again before she shook her silver head to regain concentration. The sound of marching was close now, almost directly below. Micaiah felt something soft nuzzle her hand. When she looked down she saw none other then Volug offering her support once more. The exhausted woman gladly accepted the token of kindness and leaned her weight on the black wolf. Micaiah could feel a single thought emitting from her body guard 'protect' and it made her feel more at ease.

"Ten seconds," Sothe whispered to himself but just loud enough for all near him to hear.

Micaiah took one last look around at her friends before all hell was unleashed. Edward had drawn his blade and was holding Laura's hand in his left. Leonardo had notched an arrow but kept the bow string lax and unprepared. Nolan and Aran both tightened their grip on their weapons. Fiona mounted her horse and drew her lance from its sheath on her saddle. Meg was kneeling with her eyes closed tightly, her mouth forming silent prayers. Sothe was twirling his daggers between his fingers and Volug was just sitting on his haunches as if nothing were about to happen. The rogue turned to face Micaiah. He nodded once and returned his attention towards the unsuspecting enemy. Micaiah swallowed hard, dreading the order she was about to give.

"Now!" the small woman shouted as loud as she possibly could. However, in comparison with the following roar of the Daein soldiers her voice had been but the squeak of a field mouse.

As one the members of the apostle's army turned their wide eyes towards the sound of the enemy. It took only a moment before they fled before the planned avalanche of stone that was released upon them. A storm of arrows followed to silence any whom the boulders had not crushed. After several volleys the mountains went silent. The ambushed soldiers sat in wait for they could not see through the thick cloud of dust that had surrounded them. The apostle's force peered through the settling debris that inhabited the air, but there was still no sign of the Daein soldiers. Then, a dark silhouette of a young girl appeared out of the gloom. Her identity could not be determined with such an obscured view, but behind her came a wolf of massive stature.

"Glory to Daein!" the girl shouted and from behind her came the roar of thousands of men.

As a single living being a mass of ebon armor, swords, spears, and axes rushed forth from the dust. Only dark outlines at first, but they eventually became detailed forms of men. The Daein soldiers tore a gapping hole directly through the disoriented front line of the apostle's force. The debris in the air settled and the line of sight from above was clear once more. The Daein archers and mages began to pick off more enemy units as the ground force continued to cut through line after line. At the head of the advancing Daein's was none other then the heroic Dawn Brigade, leading their army to a potential victory. However, fate is not always kind to those with the upper hand. Micaiah had not fully recovered from her earlier ailments and her flagging strength eventually gave out.

"Get her out of here!" Sothe shouted above the din of battle as he did his best to defend Micaiah's collapsed form. "Volug, take her back to the cliff tops! We can finish up here!"

Sothe swept Micaiah up in his arms and placed her on the black wolf's back. He let out a long howl and gnashed his teeth at the enemy before turning to retreat. Volug sped past columns of oncoming Daein soldiers, all of whom had the same expression when they saw their priestess. They all shared a look of defeat, their eyes appeared lifeless, cold, and wrought with sorrow. Micaiah was not dead, but she may as well have died right then and there. The aura of immortality had vanished within an instant. She was no longer the goddess that defeated an oppressive Begnion occupation army. She lost her invincibility when Ike and the Greil Mercenaries decimated her forces at the Ribahn River. Now Micaiah had fallen to the status of any other Daein general. She had fallen just as the Black Knight had fallen after Ike defeated him.

Micaiah's inability to fight and lead her troops in battle dealt a heavy blow to Daein's moral. The tide of battle began to turn for the worst. The soldiers lacked any confidence in Sothe as a military leader. They didn't in anyone but Micaiah. However, with Micaiah's image tarnished by defeat the Daein soldiers had no one to look to for support. What's worse is that the apostle's forces were rallying and were starting to fight back. The frontline was being moved back towards the cliffs where Daein troops had originally descended from.

Micaiah's eyes fluttered open some time shortly after she had lost consciousness on the battlefield. She peered around into the dark of a tent. She immediately recognized that the tent belonged to her and that the sounds of battle were drawing ever closer. Micaiah sat up with a start and dashed back outside. The pace at which she wanted to go and the pace her body could do at that moment were severely mismatched. Her feet simply could not keep up with what she was demanding of them and as a result Micaiah tumbled to the ground. Volug, who had been watching from his bed in the tent, stood up slowly and stretched his limbs before going to assist the struggling girl.

Micaiah clutched to Volug's thick fur for support as she walked out of her tent. She just needed to see how the battle was fairing. Much to her surprise the Daein troops had been pushed back. The front line was rapidly being pushed closer to the edges of the cliffs. From below Micaiah could hear the roar of tigers and one very load lion.

"So Ike is here," Micaiah mumbled to herself a small smile gracing her feature for but a moment before vanishing. "Volug, this might be the end for all of us. I just want to let you know just how much I've enjoyed your company and your protection. Thank you."

Volug snorted in response and turned in the direction of the retreating Daein soldiers. Micaiah turned with him. Members of the Dawn Brigade were the first to come running from the valley below. Sothe was ahead of the rest of the group and sprinted as fast as he could towards Micaiah.

"The plan is still in effect!" the rogue shouted. "Empress Sanaki is at the bottom of the cliffs just like we planned! We may lose this battle, but by killing Sanaki we will win the war for Daein! Hurry up, lets go!"

Sothe grabbed Micaiah's hand and practically dragged her towards the cliff tops. Volug quickly slipped under the exhausted girl's frame and allowed her to ride him alongside the green haired rogue. Sothe sprinted right up to the sloped edge of the cliff and spun back around to face the Daein soldiers, his eyes frantic and wild. Micaiah shrunk back, never before had she seen Sothe like this before. It was frightening and very uncharacteristic of him. He was always so calm and passive except when she was in danger. However, he never acted in this manner. Micaiah clutched to Volug more tightly then she had been previously.

"Give the order!" Sothe screamed at the petite girl. "Say it! Hurry damnit! This is our only chance! Hurry Micaiah and give the order!"

Micaiah shrunk further away from the frenzied rogue, now he was really scaring her. She slid off of Volug so that his body was between her and Sothe. His golden eyes widened in shock and fear. He faltered and calmed slightly, but it only lasted for a few seconds. Sothe shoved a soldier out of his way, grabbed a barrel of oil and began pour it down the face of the cliff. Suddenly the objective returned to Micaiah. They were there to kill Sanaki and end this pointless war with her army.

"Get moving everyone," the silver haired general ordered. "Empress Sanaki is at the bottom of these cliffs. If we kill her here and now then there will no longer be any need to fight this war. Don't let her escape our grasp!"

The Daein soldiers buzzed with activity as they all frantically tried to pour all of the oil down the cliff side while holding off the advancing enemy. Micaiah stumbled to where her troops were hard at work. She was feeling weaker by the moment. It was now or never. The petite general said a silent prayer to the Goddess Ashera before she prepared herself to give the fatal order.

"Burn them!"

At once the valley below was set ablaze by the Daein mages. However, the empress escaped with a ring of her Holy Guard surrounding her. Micaiah blinked a few times, completely dumbfounded at how quickly her opponent had been able to organize and escape death. The silver haired girl turned to look at Sothe who was about ready to beat someone into a lifeless carcass. His eyes blazed brighter and with more fury then they had been earlier. The rogue gnashed his teeth at the fleeing apostle. The Daein army watched as their one hope to ending this war early rose to their level.

"Don't let them escape!" Sothe screamed at the soldiers. "Archers, mages, take them down! Kill the apostle! Don't let her escape!"

Sanaki spun around as she heard the order. A look of sheer terror darkened her features. Then, she grinned and simply turned back around. This act startled many of the Daein soldiers and caused them to falter in executing their orders. Sothe turned his head to look where Sanaki had looked and what he saw made him drop his weapon.

"Micaiah move!" the green haired rogue shouted as he pushed her aside.

The weary girl collided with the rough stone of the cliff tops, sending the air from her lungs and tearing her clothes in several places. Micaiah rolled onto her side and searched for Sothe to yell at him for being so violent and rough with her, but what she saw made her freeze. There, hovering over the burning valley was Sothe being held up by his neck. The laguz holding him was a very large member of the hawk tribe. The man shook Sothe violently, his yellow eyes flashing with rage.

"If I see one arrow fly this boy will get a quick lesson in falling," the hawk laguz warned. "Surrender Daein scum if you value your miserable lives."

The hawk smirked at the fuming Daein troops, none of them were enjoying being talked down to be a filthy sub-human. Micaiah glanced around at each man and quickly realized just how close they were to killing all who were in range of their magic and arrows. Even the members of the Dawn Brigade were itching to draw blood. Micaiah looked back and saw Ike striding towards them with a blue haired cat laguz at his side.

"Stand down," the silver haired general ordered, tears welling up in her golden eyes. "We will all die if you don't stand down. Drop your weapons."

"But Priestess," a soldier began to protest.

"But nothing," Micaiah cut him off, trying her best to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. "I have given you my orders and I expect you to obey them. Now stand down."

The Daein troops reluctantly set down their weapons. They were all scowling either at Micaiah for giving such an order or at the hawk laguz who had coerced her into giving the order by holding a hostage. Micaiah timidly began to walk towards Sothe and his captor. The hawk laguz holding him only gave her a triumphant smirk. Micaiah looked at the laguz with pleading golden eyes glistening with tears that were prepared to burst forth. Sothe struggled for breath as he tried to grab onto the hawks forearm. The hawk, on the other hand, simply released his hold on the rogue's neck and watched as he began to plummet towards the burning valley below.

"Tibarn, no!" someone shouted from behind Micaiah.

She turned to see Ike rushing towards the edge of the cliff. Micaiah nearly jumped out of her skin as the mercenary commander and Daein's must hated man placed a hand on her shoulder when he reached the cliff. Her face turned a violent shade of red and was very thankful that he wasn't looking at her. Ike let out a sigh of relief and straightened up again.

"Good," he said with a tired grin. "Tibarn didn't let Sothe fall to his death."

Micaiah peered over the edge to find that Sothe had indeed not fallen to his death but was being flown to the other side of the valley in the arms of another large hawk laguz. The silver haired general turned to look at her remaining troops. All were glaring at the laguz enemies, who now had the entire area cut off and surrounded. Micaiah's heart sank as she saw the venom in the eyes of her soldiers. They were very prejudice towards the laguz as was the entire nation of Daein. How badly would it hurt the moral of the army to have to surrender to a force made up entirely of laguz soldiers? Ike was the only beorc amongst the group. Well at least they would all live to see another day. Ike would never slaughter an opponent who was not armed and had no chance of even defending themselves. She turned her golden brown eyes towards the blue haired mercenary to find that he was actually looking back at her.

"We meet again, Micaiah," Ike stated with a slight hint of excitement in his voice. "Don't worry, I'll let your men go again, but this is the last time I can do that. Daein has no place in this war and you know that."

Micaiah glanced down at her feet and shifted from one foot to the other. She could feel Ike's gaze on the back of her head. He was waiting for an answer. Slowly, Micaiah nodded while still avoiding the azure eyes of the mercenary before her.

"Order your men to retreat then," Ike instructed her. "No one will attack them. I promise, but remember Micaiah: this is the last time Daein will be allowed to retreat without being slaughtered. Get out of this war."

She flinched at the thought of what would happen if Daein did stop fighting and let the apostle's army pass. An inevitable death that came on slowly but was completely unavoidable once it begins. Ike let his hand fall from where it had been resting on Micaiah's shoulder and instead crossed his arms across his chest. He was waiting for her to give the order. It was something she had to do to preserve the lives of her men for at least another day, but Daein still needed to keep fighting. Why couldn't there just be peace in the world for once?

"Alright, well pull back for now," Micaiah sighed in defeat. "We will keep fighting though."

"That's where you're wrong," Ike grinned. He reached out and clamped his hand around the clasp that held Micaiah's cloak around her shoulders. He pulled her close to his body and turned her around so that her back was against the front of his body. "How well will Daein do without their Maiden?" Ike whispered in Micaiah's ear.

The silver haired general felt chills run down her spine at the close proximity of their bodies as well as the hot breathe against her ear. She arched her back in a feeble attempt to put some separation between them, but Ike just wrapped his arm around her chest and pulled her closer. Micaiah could feel her cheeks burning and her breathing was uneven. She felt like she was being smothered but was enjoying every moment of it. By now nearly the entire Daein army had stopped glaring at their laguz enemy and was instead gaping at the scene before them.

"Give the order," Ike breathed into Micaiah's ear which made her shudder.

"Soldiers of Daein fall back," the silver haired general gasped trying as best as she could to keep her voice even, but with each passing second against Ike's body she found herself becoming more aroused.

They didn't make any indication that they planned on retreating. All the men clad in ebon armor stood their ground. They weren't about to lose a battle and their heroine in one day. Even the members of the Dawn Brigade were itching for a fight, but everyone was keeping themselves under control. Micaiah was very grateful that Sothe was not there right now or else the whole situation would probably turn into a blood bath. Ike placed one hand on Ragnell's hilt over his right shoulder. He could sense the building tension as well. The mercenary drew his golden blade and held it out in front of him and Micaiah to ward off any person who decided to attack.

"Follow her orders or you all die here," Ike warned as he began to make his way back towards his laguz allies. "My suggestion is that Daein gets out of this war. Oh, and don't even think about attacking us again. After all we do have your Priestess as our captive."

Ike made a beeline past the Daein troops, but he would spin to face any soldier that was within ten feet. Micaiah didn't have to see the faces of her soldiers; she could feel the fear and hatred burning emitting from their bodies. Volug growled viciously at the blue haired mercenary as he passed by. Micaiah shifted around on Ike's shoulder a bit. The armor he wore was not in the least bit comfortable.

"Stop struggling," Ike hissed.

Micaiah froze instantly at the command. The mercenary slipped past the front line of laguz troops and kept walking away from the cliff tops. Golden brown eyes stared back at a cluster of ebon clad soldiers gazing helplessly as their general was carried away in the hands of their enemy. Ike set Micaiah down once they had gotten a good distance away from the Daein soldiers. She immediately turned to him with a questioning and slightly fearful look in her eyes. All that she received was a wide grin. A blue haired cat walked up and placed his arm around Ike's shoulders.

"Ranulf?" Ike asked turning to the cat laguz.

"I must say that you did a fine job out their," the feline grinned revealing a mouthful of razor sharp teeth. "You crushed Daein again, saved the apostle, and managed to pick up a pretty little toy for some late night entertainment."

Micaiah's eyes widened in terror at the cat laguz's comment, maybe Ike wasn't as virtuous as Sothe had told her she was.

**

* * *

**

It has been far too long since I last updated this story, but my computer just decided to die. Well none of that matters now because I'm back. Reviews please.


	12. Something Unexpected

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

Guess who's back and proud to be too? It's me of course! Anyways this is the twelfth chapter of this story and its only just getting started. Isn't that exciting? Let's just do a quick recap on what has happened so far in this story of mine. Micaiah and Ike meet for the first time at the Ribahn River and form a deep attraction for the other. However, as fate would have it the two cannot be together for they are at war. With each clash of their forces the tension they feel and indecision builds and other people in their lives start to get involved. Now Micaiah is a captive of Ike. Enough review lets just get to the story!**

**I have no legal rights to anything Fire Emblem but I wish I did.**

* * *

"Ike, hey Ike," a small voice called to him dragging him out of a rather peaceful slumber. "Hey Ike, it's about time you woke up you sleepy head. You've been out almost all day."

The mercenary shook his head and rubbed his eyes in an attempt to focus on who was talking to him. Ike squinted through locks of azure hair to see a pair of eyes of the same color staring back at him no more then a few inches away. He took a quick sweeping gaze around his tent and immediately noticed how brightly the sun was shining through the fabric. Ike's eyes shot wide open as he finally realized how late it must be in the day. He heard a giggle and turned in the direction of the noise. Kneeling at the edge of the fur he used for a bed was none other then his sister fully dressed and awake. For once she was up earlier then her older brother.

"Mist, why didn't you wake me up or at least send someone else to do it?" Ike asked his voice was filled with irritation and it only grew as his sister continued to giggle. "It isn't funny Mist. I am the general of this army and I have an obligation to do a good job. Not only that but I also need to set a good example for the troops. If their general is sleeping in late, what's going to stop them from doing so as well?"

"Relax for once brother," Mist teased. "Sanaki decided to give everyone a break today. We all need it too especially after that battle with Daein yesterday."

Ike cringed at the mention of the previous day's main event. It was an unusually hard fight against a highly determined enemy. Not only that but Daein also used massive boulders and fire to further add to the already high casualty list for that day. The mercenary sighed; soldiers had still been counting the dead even when he had gone to sleep. The number of soldiers on their side alone was over ten thousand last night. Ike really didn't want to leave his tent now. If he did he would receive the depressing news that even more were dead. How was Daein causing so much havoc with so few troops? The mercenary let a grim smirk cross his face for an instant; Daein had probably been thinking the same thing during the Mad King's War.

Ike ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh as he prepared himself for the day. He would have to do something about the troops' morale or else they might lose the next battle. This past one was won by the skin on their teeth and Sanaki almost died as well. The mercenary shook his head, he would have to talk to Soren about better places to put the empress within their ranks. Mist placed a reassuring hand on her brother's shoulder. She didn't need to have him tell her what he was thinking about, she just knew. However, there was one thing on the brunette's mind that was oddly not on Ike's.

"So Ike, what do you want me to do with Micaiah?" Mist asked as she stood up to leave.

"Nothing, I should probably talk to her right now," the blue haired mercenary spoke slowly as he tried to think of how best to deal with his captive in a professional manner while still trying to get to know her. "Where is she being detained anyways?"

"In my tent just like you asked, remember?" Ike merely nodded in response. "I guess I'll see you soon then. I'm going to go now so you can get dressed."

With that Mist slipped out of Ike's tent. He stared at the tent flap swaying back and forth for a few moments before he actually got up and started to put his clothes on. Since the army wouldn't be marching and Daein was too devastated at the moment to launch any type of attack, the mercenary didn't even bother to put on his armor. Ike threw on a long sleeved black shirt and a pair of white pants. He laced up his boots and picked up his coat before he left his tent. He paused for a moment, there was something missing. Ike glanced back and saw his forest green head band lying across the back of an old wooden chair by his desk. He didn't need it. Without further delay the mercenary slung Ragnell over his shoulder and left the warm comfort of his tent and ventured into the frigid Daein winter. An icy blast of wind stung his face and any other bit of exposed skin. The wind also tore right through his clothes and chilled him to the bone.

Ike decided that it would be better to check on the rest of the camp before he went to talk with Micaiah. He would make a long looping path towards the western side first and then check the eastern side on his way back to his tent. The mercenary wrapped his coat tighter around his body and steeled himself as another blast of frigid air sapped the heat from his body. Ike cursed the Daein winter's for being so harsh. He hated them during the Mad King's War and he hated them now. How anyone lived in these harsh conditions for an entire lifetime was beyond his understanding.

It was all unnaturally quiet. It usually was quiet after any battle, but this was very near a dead silence. The only sounds that could be heard were those of Rhys and the other priests in the army praying over the dead. There weren't even carrion birds attempting to prey off of the flesh of the dead. There was just the sound of soft prayer and the ever frequent gusts of wind. The last time Ike remembered the world being this quiet was when his father was killed by the Black Knight. No one spoke then, not even the animals dared to stir. The mercenary let out a heavy sigh. The world must be lamenting the loss of life on such a grand scale as this.

"Ike," a stony voice called the mercenary out of his thoughts.

"Soren, what is it? Do you have a final count on the dead and wounded?"

The raven haired mage handed Ike a small role of paper tied off neatly with a piece of string. The blue haired mercenary eyed it suspiciously. It looked too nice to be Soren's work. The mage was all about being professional, but he never really cared about appearances. Ike pulled the string off and unrolled the paper to read what was written on it. The writing confirmed what he had thought. It had not been done by Soren. Ike growled slightly as he read just how many had been counted dead and there were even more wounded. The raven haired mage took a quick glance at the numbers written on the paper, but he had no showed no sign of being upset or any emotion at all.

"You plan on talking with our prisoner today don't you?" Soren asked as Ike began to calm down again.

"Yeah, I'll get around to that a little later today," the blue haired mercenary sighed. "Why do you ask?"

"Let me talk with her so that way you could take the day off and rest," the mage suggested a slight glint in his eyes.

"You do enough for us already, Soren," Ike responded catching the look in his friend's eyes. "I think it would be best if you took a day of rest and let me talk to Micaiah."

Soren's nostrils flared slightly at the mention of her name, but he did not protest any further. The raven haired mage said a quick good-bye before retreating in the direction of his tent. Ike made a mental note not to let Soren be alone with Micaiah. The mage only got that emotional when dealing with laguz and when he killed enemies. Either way it was not a good sign because the Soren would kill either one of them without hesitation if given the opportunity. Actually, Micaiah would have to be kept in the company of member of the Greil Mercenaries only if she was to be kept out of harms way. All the soldiers wanted her to be either tortured or hung or both as soon as they had seen her being lead by Ike towards their camp.

The mercenary made his sweep of the western side of camp without any further incident. He paid a quick visit to Sanaki to find out how she was doing after nearly dying the previous day. She was relatively unfazed, plus she was under the protective eyes of her guards Sigrun and Tanith. Ike now made his way towards Mist's tent where he would finally be able to talk to Micaiah without having to worry about fighting her or Daein. He frowned, that wasn't about to happen anytime soon. Daein would come after her sooner or later. Tauroneo was with the Daein troops and he knew that Ike would never kill a prisoner. Sothe knew that too and that crazy rogue would track Micaiah down even if he had to enter enemy territory on his own. The blue haired mercenary sighed, he would just have to cross that bridge when he reached it. There was no sense in worrying about the future when it might never happen.

Ike paused in front of his sister's tent when he reached it. He could her light but very uncomfortable chatter going on within. The mercenary took a deep breath before pulling back the tent flap and entering. Ike had to wait for a moment for his eyes to adjust to the considerably darker interior. He could see Micaiah sitting with her back one of the legs of a desk. Her legs were drawn up to her chest and she was hugging her knees. Mist was kneeling in front of Micaiah trying to talk with her, but didn't seem to be having much success. Ike looked at the table that his captive was sitting against and saw a plate full of untouched food. Micaiah wasn't eating. Mist looked up at her brother for some kind of help. Micaiah wasn't even looking at either of them. She had her face hidden by her arms and legs.

"Mist, could you please go get something for both me and Micaiah to eat?" Ike asked his sister. "I haven't had anything to eat at all to day and by the looks of it neither has Micaiah. Nothing too elaborate, some bread and water would be fine for now."

Mist nodded and got up to leave. Ike noticed Micaiah's golden brown eyes peering back at him from under her arms. She had a look of utter terror in them. The mercenary leaned Ragnell against the one chair in the tent and then hung his coat over the back of it. Micaiah pulled further away as Ike did this. He looked at her, confused as to why she would try to get away from him. He was no longer armed and he wasn't making any threatening gestures. In fact he was doing nothing but standing. Ike sat down in the chair and brushed his hair out of his eyes. Maybe putting on his bandana would have been a good idea.

"What do you plan on doing with me?" Micaiah asked while lifting her head slightly so that Ike could see her face.

"Me? I don't plan on doing anything with you," the blue haired mercenary explained as he brushed his hair back a second time. "I mean aside from holding you as leverage against Daein so that they don't attack and trying to find out why you are in this war in the first place. The only other thing I can do with you is talk."

"That's all?" the silver haired girl asked with mixed tones in her voice that Ike was unable to decipher.

The mercenary nodded his head and pushed his blue locks back from his eyes. Micaiah bit her lip and Ike noticed the battle of indecision that seemed to raging within his captive's mind. Finally, she lifted her golden brown eyes to meet with Ike's azure eyes. The mercenary felt his body tense under Micaiah's gaze. Something about it wasn't normal. She still appeared the same, but her eyes seemed different almost as if she were trying to peer into his soul. It was Ike's turn to pull away. He hadn't felt like this since the Mad King's War, that feeling of anticipation, anger and above all else the desire to destroy. Ike's lip began to curl at one corner into a lopsided smirk and he used one hand to cover that side of his face. Micaiah gave him a confused look when the sound of someone entering the tent caught her attention.

"I'm back," Mist cheered as she skipped into the tent. "I know you said nothing too el…"

The brunette stopped short when she saw her brother and her eyes began to widen in terror. Mist the basket she had brought on the table in her tent and gripped her brother's shoulders and gave him a slight shake. She started calling his name in a low concerned tone. Micaiah watched the whole scene unfold utterly confused as to what was happening. A low sporadic wheezing started coming from Ike's mouth, but soon turned into a rumbling chuckle. Mist pulled away from her brother as he started to laugh. Her arm shot forward from where it lay dormant at her side and struck the mercenary in the face with her hand. Micaiah just sat gaping at the two siblings while still completely oblivious as to what was going on between them. More importantly, what was wrong with Ike?

Ike let his hand slip down to his side where it swayed from momentum for several seconds before becoming stationary. His eyes, which were usually bright and energized, now seemed dull and distant. The mercenary mumbled under his breath before turning to leave. Both females watched as Ike pulled back the tent flap and without even bothering to grab Ragnell or his coat, left. Micaiah turned to Mist expecting some sort of explanation. However, the brunette just gave an apologetic look and rushed after her brother. Utterly alone and without a clue Micaiah just sighed. She wasn't going to figure anything out on her own, so she wasn't going to bother thinking about what just occurred.

A low grumble startled the silver haired girl and she rubbed her stomach. She was hungry. Micaiah glanced at the basket that Mist had left behind. Some of it was for her anyways, so it wouldn't be wrong if she just ate. She pulled a loaf of bread from within the woven bits of wood and tore it in half, after all it was not all for her. Micaiah sighed with content as her hunger subsided. She drank from one of the canteens that Mist had brought along. Micaiah yawned, all that was left was to get some rest. She lay down on the cot that Mist had said she could use; pulled the blanket she had been given tightly around her body and shut her weary eyes. Darkness enveloped the weary priestess as she dozed off into a sleep wrought with nightmares of Ike and the war with Daein.

**

* * *

Oh, I wonder what is happening to our dear Ike. HEHEHEHEHE. Well you'll just have to wait for my next chapter to figure that one out. Anyways, this one was considerably shorter then my other ones but thats okay. People you know the drill here, review this thing. I always like to here about your opinions and comments plus sometimes i get tips on how to make this story better for you people. Reviews are what help me to improve as a writer and make my stories more enjoyable. Now I'm ranting... my bad. REVIEW!**


	13. Dark Dealings

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

I'm back and rather soon too. I have testing at school to thank for that. I haven't gotten any homework at all this week. Well this is the thirteenth chapter and it will also be explaining the events that took place in the previous chapter even though SilverandGoldDragons seems to get it to some extent. However, there is more to it for anyone else who guessed correctly as well. This has gone on way to long. Chapter time!**

* * *

Micaiah's eyes fluttered open, but immediately snapped shut again as a bright beam of light burned them. The silver haired girl rolled onto her side and drew the blanket up over her head. She was sick of military life. She didn't want to get out of bed and start giving orders and leading people to kill other people. Golden brown eyes opened slowly again as the effects of sleep began to subside. That's right, she was Ike's captive. She didn't have to give orders anymore. Micaiah let out a content sigh and shut her eyes once more. There was no need to be awake early in the morning. Besides she had not gotten an adequate amount of rest for a few months. Why not take the opportunity presented to her?

Micaiah snuggled under her blanket and tried to return to sleep. However, there was someone approaching the tent. She could hear the person as he entered for there was no doubt from the heavy footfalls that it had to be a man. She waited, pretending to be asleep so that he wouldn't bother her. Luck was not on Micaiah's side this morning.

"For a general you are pretty lazy," the man snickered at her. "Around here everyone's up by eight o' clock which passed by over half an hour ago. Wake up!"

Micaiah shot up and came face to face with a man who seemed to be about Ike's size. This man even wore a headband like Ike, but this one was brown and didn't look as good in her opinion. He had green hair and a playful expression on his face. Micaiah remembered Sothe mentioning someone from the Greil Mercenaries that fit this man's appearance or what he would have looked like a few years ago. What was his name? Micaiah racked her brain in an attempt to remember, but she could only recall Ike's name as well as Mist and Soren. The silver haired girl shifted her glance as someone else entered the tent.

"Boyd I hope you're not being too mean to Micaiah," Mist warned in a semi playful tone. "You remember what happened last time you managed to piss Ike off? The time that he walked in on the two of us."

"I don't need any reminding about that," Boyd responded his face slightly more pale then it had been just a minute ago. "He could have gone a little easier on those doors though and me too."

The two let out a small fit of laughs while Micaiah tried to imagine what might have occurred. She had no idea of what could get Ike in such a bad mood that he would do something to two doors and one very strong and large man. Her attention returned to the two other people in the tent as Boyd pulled Mist close to his body and gave her a kiss. Micaiah's mouth nearly dropped in both surprise that they completely disregarded her presence and in embarrassment for intruding on such a tender moment between the two. She watched as Boyd held Mist close to him, her head resting against his chest.

"I've got stuff to do and so do you," the large man said after pulling away a little. "As much as I'd like to stay I just can't. I'll see you later Mist."

The brunette smiled as the man left her behind. She then turned her attention towards Micaiah who had still not even managed to get out of her cot. Mist let out a slight giggle and immediately placed her hand over her mouth and mumbled an apology. Micaiah looked at her with a look of utter confusion and the brunette responded by tapping her head. Micaiah's cheeks burned as she realized how bad she must look. Her hands shot up to straighten out her hair and make herself look slightly more presentable. Mist couldn't hold back any longer, she let out a fit of uncontrolled laughter.

"I just woke up," Micaiah defended herself with a slight pout.

"I know, I know and I'm sorry that I laughed but your hair was all over the place. It looked like a bird's nest that got thrown about in a tempest. But I must admit, your hair is still very pretty and it looks like its soft. Can I touch it?"

Micaiah nodded, a bit taken aback by the peculiar request. No one had ever so much as even mentioned her hair unless it was about the odd color. Mist reached for a lock of silver that was less matted then the rest and she rubbed it between her fingers. The brunette giggled slightly as she marveled at the soothing feeling against her fingers. She reluctantly let Micaiah's hair slip from her grasp. Mist then let out a depressed sigh.

"I wish I had hair like yours," the brunette pouted.

Micaiah couldn't help but laugh a little at how absurd Mist's actions were. Hair was not really an appropriate topic for discussion during war. Well, maybe it was just her way of escape from the brutality of battle. As much as Micaiah would have loved to continue talking to Mist about their hair and anything else the brunette wanted to discuss, there was one subject that was really pressing. What had happened to Ike the previous day? Why did he suddenly change? Micaiah fidgeted nervously and Mist noticed it immediately. The brunette waited patiently for the other girl to get her thoughts organized.

"The other day," Micaiah began hesitantly keeping her golden brown eyes fixed on the ground. "What happened to Ike? Why did he suddenly change the way he did? Was it something I did to upset him?"

Mist looked up at the ceiling of the tent and let out a long sigh. Her mood had suddenly become very serious and was no longer cheery. She sat next to Micaiah on her cot and looked down at the earthen floor as if it would provide an answer. Micaiah waited for a response anxiously. She kept her eyes fixed on the face of the other female which was hidden behind a curtain of brunette hair at the moment. Mist turned and her azure eyes met Micaiah's golden brown ones. The brunette took a deep breath and started to explain.

"Ike is unusually susceptible to the forces of chaos just like our father was. I, on the other hand, have a high level of order and peace within my body very much like our mother. Now, there are two ways that a person can be completely consumed by chaos and lose their sanity. At first we thought it was only by touching Lehran's Medallion. However, Ike proved that there was another way during the Mad King's War. He went berserk for a mixed number of reasons. We don't know if it was one thing or another because there were just so many possibilities, but our guess was an extended exposure to a strong chaotic force. The result is not a total loss of one's self, but in Ike's case he became unusually powerful and only had a desire to destroy."

Micaiah took a few moments to take in and digest all that Mist had just told her. Could that be true? Was Ike a potential threat even to his allies if he lost control? No, he would never let himself go that far as to harm his friends. However, the fact that he started to go a little insane the other day was proof that there were other factors at play other then Lehran's Medallion. Micaiah thought of the reason that Mist had given her. Perhaps they had assumed wrong and there was another factor at play.

"Umm, Mist," the silver haired girl began hesitantly. "You said that there were a number of reasons that could have set Ike off his first time. What were the other possibilities that you took into consideration?"

"I might as well tell you," Mist responded with a heavy sigh and Micaiah almost regretted that she had asked, but curiosity kept her mouth closed. "In all honesty I totally agree with the answer I gave you, but there was more to it then just a strong chaotic force like war. It was more then just stress of being the general of an army, more then being the hero of a dead nation and more then fighting every day. It had a lot to do with his emotional circumstance during that entire war. No one but the members of the Greil Mercenaries is aware of this story, so I need you to keep it a secret. I'm only telling this to you because I feel that you should know and also because Ike hasn't changed, like he did yesterday, for almost a year now."

"So you think that I have something to do with Ike's incident this time?" Micaiah asked her voice filled with surprise and fear.

"Yes, and it would be best if you held your questions until the end," the sliver haired girl gave an apology and waited for Mist to continue. "Well, I think it would be best if I told you about what happened to our father first. Then I can tell you about Ike. Our father, Greil, touched the medallion once and was overcome by its chaotic powers. He slaughtered all of the assassins and soldiers that had been hired to hunt him down for deserting Daein's military."

Micaiah nearly jumped in surprise to learn that Ike and his sister were actually Daein. Mist took notice of the reaction and thought process of the girl next to her and explained a little further.

"Both Ike and I were born in Gallia, not Daein. Anyways, our father then went on to killing friends, neighbors, people who helped us in our time of need, and finally he killed our mother."

Mist's hands gripped the blanket she was sitting on with such force that her knuckles began to turn white. Tears started to well up at the edges of her azure eyes, but she remained composed and refused to let them fall. Micaiah stared in awe at just how strong this girl was and at how much stronger Ike must truly be. She had not seen what he was actually capable of doing when he was aided by insanity. The mere thought sent shivers through her entire body. The sound of sniffling brought Micaiah's attention back to Mist. She watched as the girl dabbed at her eyes with her sleeves and sat up straight with an air of dignity and determination.

"I promised myself that I would shed no more tears on this matter, but it's just so painful," Micaiah, without knowing what else to do, offering a sympathetic smile which Mist returned with a little more cheer. "That is somewhat beside the point. Ike never touched to the medallion as far as anyone is aware."

The brunette stopped talking altogether and gazed down at her feet. She remained like that for a few minutes and Micaiah began to wonder if she would even continue talking. Mist fidgeted with her hands and kept quiet. Micaiah opened her mouth to say something, but the right words just refused to come out and she ended up remaining silent. The two females sat in utter silence, one waiting for the other to talk and the other was debating with herself on what to say. Neither moved so much as an inch. The sounds of marching, training and occasional conversations could be heard outside of the tent. However, nothing except breathing could be heard from within it. Micaiah had nearly lost all hope of Mist revealing any more information when the brunette cleared her throat and prepared to speak once more.

"During the Mad King's War several years ago, Ike fell in love with the princess of Crimea," Micaiah flinched at this bit. "I don't hold anything against Elincia, but I personally think that she is responsible for my brother losing his sanity for a time being. It all started when Ike found her after a skirmish between Daein and Crimea. He brought her back to our fort and because of that Daein attacked us time and time again. I still remember what Ike said to me the night we burned our home and fled to Gallia."

_The dimly lit store room of the Greil Mercenaries' fort was busy with activity after Daein's attack. The sound of foot falls and rustling echoed off of the stone walls. The shadows of two figures danced to and fro in the poor lamp light that shone down from its place near the ceiling. Mist and Elincia rushed back and forth packing everything that they could carry into bags. They grabbed food, medicine and any other item that may be needed for their journey to Gallia. Their work lacked focus or even organization. It was frenzied and panicked. The sound of the door opening caught the attention of both females in the room. Their eyes rested upon the son of the commander, Ike. He had blood dripping from his fingers onto the stone floor. The wound on his arm had been poorly bandaged and it was already soaked in crimson._

"_M-my Lord Ike, your arm," Elincia gasped when she saw him. "Let me see that, I know the healing arts to some extent."_

"_It's only a scratch," the blue haired mercenary grinned but the pain he felt was beyond obvious. He just let his arm hang at his side and tried his best to not move it at all. "I am here to check up on how you two are doing. We can't wait around much longer. Are you guys nearly done?"_

_Mist shook her head and Ike let out a sigh. He then went about helping the two of them pack. However, both females forced him to stop for two reasons. One, he was wincing and in obvious pain. The second reason was that he was getting blood on all of the supplies. The door opened and a second person entered the room. The ruby eyes of the company's tactician glared at the group before he turned on his heels and left. Mist and Elincia immediately went back to packing all of the supplies as quickly as they could. Ike slumped against a wall and watched the two work, one in particular. His azure eyes never left the princess in her only orange dress. Mist looked up to see her brother staring at Elincia and smiled._

_The three finished packing and left the store room and brought the bags outside of the fort. With everyone safely out side Soren chanted a spell and a section of the wall burst into flames. He repeated this process several times until he was satisfied that the fires would consume the entire fort. With the sound of popping wood at their backs, the Greil Mercenaries set out into the darkness._

"_Ike," Mist whispered to her brother as she tugged at his cape. He grunted in return. "You like Elincia don't you?"_

_The blue haired mercenary stumbled as he walked, but quickly regained his balance. He didn't respond to his sister's question. Ike simply continued walking in silence. Mist grinned, she knew that he liked Elincia and she now wanted him to admit it to her. She planned on forcing him to tell._

"_So, do you like her Ike?" she asked again a little more forcefully. "If you don't tell me I'll tell Elincia that you do even if you don't. That would create a few awkward situations wouldn't it?"_

"_Don't tell her anything," Ike hissed back. "Yes I do like her, but it feels like so much more. I've never felt like this before and I'm wondering what I should do. No, I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to tell Elincia… eventually."_

"And he did tell her on our voyage from Crimea to Begnion. Elincia returned his feelings too. She was a little hesitant at first, but after a few weeks the two of them were completely happy together. However, they did not get the happy ending that Ike wanted. I think Elincia was perfectly content with how the war played out. Actually it was more like overjoyed."

Micaiah waited anxiously for Mist to continue, but was surprised to see the girl getting angry. The brunette's hands were balled up into fist and she was glaring at the earthen floor as if it had done something wrong. Her azure eyes were ablaze with frustration and loathing. Micaiah could hardly believe that she was looking at the same person. Mist's started to growl instead of talk.

"We reentered Crimea and found that the Crimean army was still alive. They were hiding and meeting in secret, waiting for their princess to return with the Liberation army. When Elincia saw them she nearly burst with joy."

Micaiah was utterly confused now. Mist was the kind of person to be happy when other people were happy. She didn't seem like she would despise someone for having something good happen to her. Why was she so upset with Elincia? Mist noticed the confused look on Micaiah's face and continued further with her story.

"Elincia completely ignored Ike after that. It was like everything that they had shared up until that moment had never happened. My brother still clung to hope though. He believed that she was just happy to see her old friends who she thought were dead. Ike was waiting for their relationship to continue as it had before then. However, when we saved Geoffrey at Delbray was when Ike and Elincia officially ended. She had never openly spent time with my brother when they were together. He said it was because she couldn't, but I now know it was due to the fact that she was ashamed to being with someone of such a low status. I say this because Elincia let their relationship come out into the open when Ike was given lord status. Everything Elincia had done with Ike she now did with Geoffrey. It was as if my brother no longer existed in her mind. He was a thing of the past that was to be forgotten and never recalled. I had never seen Ike cry until he saw Elincia and Geoffrey kissing the same day we saved the Crimean forces at Delbray.

It was then that Ike lost control for the first time. I followed him out that day to make sure he was alright and I saw him fighting with the Black Knight. My brother had no fear or anger in his eyes. There was only pure joy and something that I now realize to be insanity brought on by chaos. Ike couldn't control himself after he snapped for the first time. He would go insane during every fight after that first day. He even told me that he enjoyed it, but that he was afraid of the power his insanity gave him."

The light which had once pierced through the fabric of the tent was considerably less vibrant. The day was nearing its end. Mist stood up and smiled down at Micaiah which confused the silver haired beauty. How was any of this information good? All it meant was that she was either a very strong chaotic force or that she caused Ike emotional stress. Neither of these were things that Micaiah wanted. She didn't want to be the cause of any person going insane, especially not someone like Ike.

"Don't worry Micaiah," Mist said in attempt to comfort the distressed captive. "I'm sure Ike will be fine and Rhys and the herons are already working on a way to keep him under control. Besides, I think he likes you. He probably won't admit it due to our situation, but if we all live through this war I'm sure he'll get around to it. Now, I'm hungry and I'm sure you are too, Micaiah. Dinner is soon so I'll go get us some food. I'll be right back."

With that Mist skipped out of the tent, leaving Micaiah all alone with her thoughts. The silver haired girl couldn't process that one bit of information. Ike had feelings towards her? Was that even possible? How strongly did he actually care about her and could she return those feelings? Micaiah sighed; the only way to find the answers to those questions would be to talk to Ike himself, which probably wouldn't be happening for a while. She swung her legs up onto her cot and drew the blanket around her small frame. Why did this have to be so complicated?

"Damn those senators and their blood pact," Micaiah whispered to herself as she continued to ponder on her situation.

* * *

**More talking then I wanted there to be, but oh well. I just couldn't think of a way to pack all this information into one chapter without using this much dialogue. Anyways, the story is well on its way and there is plenty more in store in the chapters to come. Keep reading. Reviews please.**


	14. The Nightmare

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

**

**Sorry about the long time in between updates. I truly am sorry, but I've just been so busy. Anyways, I feel like Ike has been kind of neglected in my past few chapters so this one is dedicated entirely to him. This story is well under way and unfolding quite nicely. Enjoy!**

_

* * *

_

_Dark. Total darkness. Which way is up? Which way is down? Where is the exit? What is this place? Wait, there is light up ahead. Move towards it, but how? I can't feel my legs. Do I have legs? I can't see anything. The light is getting closer. A door? No. What is it? Is the world coming to me? That's not possible. Is it? Too bright!_

Ike raised an arm to shield his eyes from the unnaturally bright light as it came into his dark world. Once his vision had adjusted enough he lowered his guard and took in his surroundings. He almost whished he had kept his eyes covered. All around the mercenary there was burning fields with a decimated town in within several hundred yards. Everywhere Ike looked there was total destruction. The sun was hidden behind a veil of clouds which were an unnatural shade of crimson. The field was littered with bodies of not only soldiers but unarmed civilians as well. Ike clenched his fist and gnashed his teeth. Taking the life of an enemy in battle was one thing, but murdering someone was completely unforgivable. The blue haired mercenary glared at the blazing town as if it were to blame for the scene. Ike set of at a run hoping to find the person or people who had performed such a heinous act.

With his goal in mind the mercenary bypassed everything else on his way to the town and considered it to be "unimportant" because it had no relevance at the time. However, had he taken a glance at the bodies strewn across the field he may have noticed that not all of them were unfamiliar to him. Ike ran until he was in the center of the town. He passed by smashed store windows and burning homes, he passed by dead bodies and feasting dogs, and he never saw anyone. Ike cursed to himself for not finding the culprit and was about to search the rest of the town when a noise caught his attention. It wasn't very loud or in any way threatening. It was a quiet sob of someone who was crying and trying not to be found. Ike was about to go running in the direction he thought the person would be in when he heard someone screaming in the opposite direction. Very soon a third person began to cry like the first. More and more people began making noises from all different directions and Ike had no idea which way to go. Some were crying uncontrollably and others were wailing in lament. However, there some who were pleading for their life or begging for someone to kill them.

"Having a little trouble there?" a dark voice laughed from behind Ike.

The mercenary spun around to face a man that was roughly his height. He had shoulder length brown hair that was matted and filthy. His hazel eyes gave off an eerie feeling of instability and immense power. He was grinning as if he was enjoying watching Ike's plight. The mercenary could already tell that this man was a threat and that whatever he was going to do it was not for any greater good. The man casually ran a hand through his hair and let out a content sigh like he had just finished eating a great feast. Ike reached behind his head to grab Ragnell's hilt. The man threw his head back and laughed at this action. The blue haired mercenary took a startled step backwards. Never before had he met a man who laughed like that. It was a high pitched sound that changed constantly changed its pitch. It then dropped to a dark, deep rumble of a chuckle before the man became silent once more.

"W-who are you?" Ike stammered slightly unnerved by this strange man.

"Me?" he asked in mock surprise. "Why, I'm you of course."

The blue haired mercenary drew his blade and took a defensive stance. He scowled at the man. There was no way that the two of them were the same. The man cocked his head to one side and looked at Ike was mild interest before he yawned. He reached his hands up and stretched. All the people were still making noise, but were nowhere to be seen. The stranger was the only other person in sight.

"There is no way you and I are the same," Ike shouted. "We look nothing alike."

"You're right, we are separate people," the man said as he shrugged and turned away. "But whether you like it or not I am you. I am not completely you. No, I am just a fraction of you. I am all that you want in moments of insanity, but you never acknowledge me. I have to force myself to be recognized. Which is why you sometimes lose consciousness and have no recollection of events that you were present for. However, this world belongs to me. Here I can bring to fruition all of my desires. This is what you truly want, isn't it?"

Ike glanced around the town once more and had to admit that through some twisted thought he enjoyed the sight. The scent of fresh blood and burning wood, the sound of crackling fire and even the corpses he had seen brought a twisted smile to the mercenary's face. There was no denying it, he had a dark and depraved side to him. The man grinned at Ike. The mercenary set Ragnell back within its sheath and was content with just taking in the scenery. It was captivating but more importantly it made him feel alive. It lit a fire within his heart that nothing else ever could. The crying and screaming of the unseen people only added to the mercenary's enjoyment.

"Would you like me to show you some of your desires that you have let slip past?" the man asked with a grin. "Would you like to see the dark thoughts that you suppressed? I can give you the pleasure of performing all the deeds that you would be too afraid to do in the real world. Let me bring forth the greatest of your twisted desires. Look behind you."

Ike spun around to see the green hair and brown eyes of the Queen of Crimea, Elincia. However, she did not look the way she did when he last saw her but looked the way he remembered her from the Mad King's War. The mercenary turned to the other man with a questioning stare only to find that he was not there nor was the burning town. He was back in the Crimean camp from his past. Ike looked at himself to find that he too had reverted back to his former appearance. He returned his attention to Elincia and realized that she too had vanished. Growling in frustration, Ike set off to find her. For whatever reason he was in the past it definitely had something to do with Crimea's queen. The mercenary passed row after row of tents. He only needed to find one. One special tent. The tent of Elincia. Spotting what he wanted Ike marched directly toward the temporary canvas lodging.

The blue haired mercenary was about to enter when he heard a familiar male voice from within. Ike froze. He knew this memory all too well. This was the day Elincia broke his heart, the day he found her with Geoffrey. Ike reached behind his head and grabbed Ragnell from its sheath. He could feel his chest tearing open, he could feel the pain he felt then, and most of all he felt the desire for revenge. He raised his sword arm and with an agonized cry, slashed through the canvas wall of the tent. He was just in time to catch a glimpse of Geoffrey and Elincia in the middle of a tender kiss. The two lovers turned with scarred and bewildered expressions on their faces to look at Ike. The mercenary remained where he was, not daring to do anything more. He didn't know what to do next.

_Kill him!_

A twisted grin spread across Ike's face as the thought of slaughtering the detested knight popped into mind. No, it wasn't just a thought. Ike took a slow step forward. He licked his lips in anticipation and hesitated for a moment. He wondered if he really should kill Geoffrey. The blue haired knight pulled Elincia closer to his body and that was all Ike could take. The princess of Crimea let out a horrified scream as the mercenary who had helped her through so much, draw his sword to attack her. Ike raised his arm only to find that he could not bring it down upon Geoffrey. No matter how much he would have liked to kill the knight at that moment it was still the wrong thing to do. Ike's sword arm fell limply at his side and he hung his head in shame and defeat. He still could control his anger, but how much longer would that last if he could already draw his blade and prepare to strike? How much longer would he restrain himself? The mercenary's gloved hand tightened its grip around the leather wrapped hilt of Ragnell.

"You truly are a worthless and pathetic excuse for a human being!" the voice of the strange man roared. Ike looked up to see he had returned to the burning village once more. "Why didn't you do it? Why do you continue to suppress your feelings? What will that ever get you? Nothing! Is that what you want in life? Absolutely nothing! This is why you lost that girl in the first place!"

"Shut the hell up!" Ike shouted back his face red with fury and his eyes burning with an unfathomable rage.

"Not only did you lose one girl because you were too cautious with your actions, but now you are going to lose another because you are afraid of rejection. You are a worthless coward!" the truth behind these words shocked Ike like ice water being poured over him. The man grinned as all the anger flushed from the mercenary's body and self loathing and regret took its place. "You truly are weak."

Ike dropped Ragnell and placed his hands over his ears. He didn't want to hear any more. The man erupted in laughter and Ike sunk to his knees and pressed harder against his head. No matter how hard he tried, the sound of that man's delighted shrieks was as loud as if they were actually inside of the mercenary's mind. Ike let out an agonized cry and tore at his hair. The man only cackled louder. With wild azure eyes, Ike clenched his hand around Ragnell and charged. The man drew a blade of pure black with a ruby in the center of the cross guard. Sparks flew in all directions as the two blades clashed. The two men fell into a stalemate as one tried to push the other one backwards. However, both were equally matched in strength and neither could force the other one to retreat even a step. Ike growled in frustration as he failed to move his opponent.

"Who are you, you bastard?" the mercenary asked as he moved his face in closer to that of the other man's so that their foreheads were nearly touching.

"I said that I'm you, but I guess you want a name," the man grinned showing no sign of exertion or any struggle. "Call me Miedo. I am the part of your mind and soul that is utterly chaotic and filled with dark ambitions and emotions. This is my world and I can bring to fruition whatever I please in this place. Watch and realize that I am a god in this world."

The ground beneath the two fighters began to tremble. Ike's eyes widened as a hand barely covered by rotted flesh forced its way out of the ground and secured a firm hold around his ankle. Three more followed in rapid succession and took hold of the mercenary so that there were two hands to each of his legs. The harder Ike struggled the tighter the hands squeezed his legs. Miedo cackled with joy. The mercenary swung Ragnell at the hands holding his right leg down only to find a black blade preventing him from severing the bonds that held him down. Ike struck at his enemy. However, without the use of his legs he posed little threat and Miedo quickly wrestled Ragnell out of Ike's hands. Unarmed and unable to move his legs, the mercenary awaited whatever his darker side had in mind. Miedo paced back and forth in front of Ike, pretending that he was thinking when in fact he was just trying to aggravate his captive. Having little success the man turned his hazel eyes upon the blue haired man. A chair materialized in front of Miedo and he took a seat. He licked his lips and stared up as if the dark sky would provide him with the words he was looking for.

"Where do I begin?" Miedo asked himself and Ike simply glared at him. "Let's start with what you want and what I want. And when I say you I really mean me too. You want a peaceful world where everyone is equal and accepted; you want to avenge your father's death; you want to remain loyal to your friends; and my favorite of all is that you want that pretty little half breed bitch."

Ike opened his mouth to protest only to find that it had been filled with a gag. He moved his hand to remove the cloth that had materialized in his mouth only to have his arms shackled together behind his back with a chain running from them down into the ground. Ike's eyes flashed with anger and he struggled furiously against his restraints, but they held him in place and kept him quiet. Miedo waited for the mercenary to calm down again before he continued.

"You and that mutt will never be together if you are always afraid," Miedo taunted with a sneer. "Anyways, let me tell you what I think about your ideas. First off, there will never be a peaceful world. It will never happen, ever. People have different values and beliefs and that is why we fight. No peace ever. Get over it. Next, not everyone is equal and not everyone should be accepted. Some people are faster, smarter, stronger, or have some other type of talent that someone else just doesn't have. Not everyone is equal, and because of the difference in talent and natural ability not everyone should be accepted. I don't care for avenging your father's death, but the Black Knight is a tough opponent and I would like to fight against him again. Now let's talk about loyalty. I'm surprised that you still believe in that load of crap. Elincia is the greatest example of why loyalty is such a stupid idea. Trust in me completely so that it is that much easier to stab you in the back when you're not looking. Great move on your part. Finally, about that sexy little mutt girl, take charge of her. I'd make her my slave. Make her do everything for me and when I feel the need for a good release, I'll make her bend over in front of me."

Muffled yet furious shouts sounded form Ike as Miedo cut down everything he believed in. The gag disappeared from the mercenary's mouth and all he could do was let out a stream of explicit curses. He denounced everything he had heard and damned his darker self for even mentioning making Micaiah a slave. Ike ranted on for several minutes and when he had finished he was panting for breath. Miedo released the mercenary from his restraints and tossed Ragnell at its owner's feet. Ike picked his blade up and was about to charge when the world around him began to blur and become distorted.

"Looks like it's time for you to wake up," Miedo sighed. "You are still too disciplined and morally upstanding for me to take control. It doesn't help that you are taking medicine to help suppress your chaotic nature. However, when I get a chance to come out I will and I won't let you back in. Keep that in mind Ike."

"If that's how it's going to be then I won't let that happen," the blue haired mercenary said with a steady voice as he sheathed Ragnell. "When we next meet I will eliminate you for good so that I will no longer have to worry about losing my mind."

Miedo sighed and shook his head, the shaggy brown locks swaying from side to side. The world was becoming almost impossible to decipher and reality was coming into view. Still, the chaotic man still had one more thing to say.

"Balance."

With that one word echoing in his mind, Ike woke with a start. He sat up on his bed of animal fur and his wool blanket slid off of his body as he did so. The mercenary's blue locks were disheveled and wild and he ran a hand through them to try and calm his nerves. His breath was uneven as he pondered all that had happened during his encounter with his chaotic self. However, as all dreams go the harder you try to recall the details the less you remember them. Such was Ike's case as well. All that remained were the name his alter ego went by, his morals being slashed to pieces, and Miedo's parting word. Ike clutched his head as he attempted to understand the meaning behind that one word. What did balance have to do with anything? With a sigh the mercenary resigned himself to just let the matter slide for the time being. He would have to discuss it with either Soren or Mist. One of them would surely be able to aid him.

Pale light began to pierce through the fabric of the tent. Ike grumbled as he got up to start his day. Once they had finished marching for the day he would have to try and talk with Micaiah again. Something he looked forward to but dreaded at the same time. The mercenary clenched his hand into a fist. He was being far too timid just as Miedo had told him. Ike made up his mind. He was just going to be his normal blunt self and tell her his feelings. Well, that was far easier said then done. Ike quickly got dressed, slung Ragnell's sheath over one shoulder, got on all of his armor and threw his heavy coat over it all so that only the hilt of his blade was showing. Bracing himself for the cold of Daein's winter, the mercenary left his tent to see what Oscar had prepared for the army's breakfast.

* * *

**Done with another chapter. Yay! Kind of on the short side. Sorry about the long time between updates. I've just been so busy with school and baseball. Speaking of which I have a 4 am practice this Friday. Sucks to be me. Anyways, I plan on having another chapter up within the next week or two. Reviews and comments of any kind are always appreciated. Thank you for reading!**


	15. Mist Bridges the Gap

Hero and a Priestess

* * *

**I'm back again with another chapter. Yeah! Anyways, it's a little on the shorter side compared to some of my others but not much really happens in this chapter. Okay so maybe quite a bit does happen in this chapter, but you'll just need to read to find out what that is exactly.**

* * *

Ike placed one foot in front of the other as his boots created a crunching sound from the snow on the ground. He was amid thousands of beorc on foot and on horseback as well as thousands more laguz marching alongside each other. The mercenary smiled to himself. Equality may not be attainable, but a universal acceptance of all races was definitely within reach. Ike's fleeting sense of joy evaporated just as quickly as it had come one when the memory of his encounter with Miedo came to the front of his thoughts. He plodded on with his head down. He was so focused within his own world that the mercenary never even noticed a laguz with sky blue hair sneaking up on him. The cat swished his tail back and forth as he approached his unsuspecting victim. With a shout of greeting the laguz jumped on Ike's back only to quickly retreat to avoid being counterattacked.

"Well, well aren't we a little more feisty then usual?" Ranulf teased giving his friend a grin that exposed his razor like fangs. "Something, or should I say someone, on your mind?"

Ike ignored Ranulf and simply kept on marching. He wasn't in much of a mood to talk to the overly giddy cat at the moment anyways. However, his friend was not to be dissuaded so easily. Ranulf kept right on pestering Ike with a various assortment of taunts, questions and even the occasional poke to the side when the mercenary wasn't paying attention. Finally, the mercenary decided that giving in and having a conversation would end up being less painful then putting up with the torture he was going through at the moment. With a sigh of resignation Ike asked what exactly the cat wanted.

"Nothing at all," Ranulf replied with a grin to which Ike scowled slightly.

"Then why bother me? In case you haven't noticed we are at war and I kind of have a lot on my mind. I'm not really in any mood to talk. So if it's okay with you I would really just like to be left alone for the time being."

"Too much doom and gloom," the cat laguz replied with a shrug. "What is a guy to do between battles anyways? Train all the time, eat and sleep? You could do that, but then you lose your mind and become a soulless killer. No, that isn't the answer. You talk with your friends. You enjoy yourself whenever you get a chance because it may just be the last happy moment of your life. You said that we could talk any time I wanted at the beginning of this war and you look like you could use some cheering up."

Ike cocked his head to the side to stare with wide eyes at Ranulf. There were very few times when the cat was ever serious about anything. The mercenary wasn't exactly used to hearing Ranulf speaking the way he just had. Ike realized just how much his actions over the past few days must have been worrying all of his friends. First, he had nearly lost his mind and isolated himself in his tent for several days. Now, he wasn't talking with anyone and he was avoiding talking too. They all cared for him. The thought that people actually enjoyed his existence that much brought a smile to Ike's face.

"Thanks Ranulf," the blue haired mercenary said with a look of gratitude in his azure eyes as he stared at his friend. "I guess I really have been problematic over the past week. However, you and all of my friends and family support me and help me through tough times. I don't know where I'd be without everyone."

"Don't get all emotional on me," Ranulf complained with a playful smile on his face. "It just doesn't fit you in the least bit."

Both men broke into laughter that they had not let out in well over a month due to the war. They continued their march side by side engaged in light conversation about anything that came to mind. For at least a few hours the two friends were able to forget the dire situation that they were in, the biting cold, the snow on the ground and the lurking threat of a Daein ambush. However, there was one subject that Ranulf desperately wanted to learn more about. He wanted to talk about Micaiah and Ike's feelings towards her, but the problem was that he couldn't just jump into a topic like that. He would need to ease the mercenary into the discussion slowly so that he may be able to obtain some kind of information from a slip of the tongue. The cat waited for the end of their current conversation on the trip to Gallia Ike and the other mercenaries had taken two years after the Mad King's War had ended. There was an extended pause and Ranulf took this opportunity to change the subject.

"Hey Ike, did you know that Lethe and I are together now?" Ranulf asked with an air of disinterest and Ike shook his head for he had nothing on the matter. "Yes, that's right. I told her she was a real pain in the ass to deal with and she attacked me. Of course we took that fight to my tent almost immediately after it started."

Ike laughed at the sly smile on the cat's face. He knew that Ranulf would never dare to say anything like that to Lethe for fear that she might actually attack him. The cat was clearly lying, but it did make for a rather funny tale. Ranulf went on to explain that Lethe was actually a very kind person in private and only put on a tough face because she was a soldier. She wasn't always a terror to deal with, but she still had a temper no matter where she was. Ike laughed again as Ranulf recalled a time when he had taken a joke a little too far and Lethe actually challenged him to a fight.

"What about Lyre?" Ike asked once he had calmed down a bit. "How is she doing knowing that her sister ended up with the man of dreams? I bet she is pretty devastated by all of this. If she is anything like her sister I'm actually surprised that they haven't torn you in half while fighting over who should get you."

"In all honesty I was a bit surprised too," Ranulf chuckled. "Then I found out why she didn't care all that much about Lethe and I being together. Lyre got together with Kyza."

Ike's mouth dropped before he started to laugh. The thought of such polar opposites together was completely absurd. Well, perhaps not that insane because Ranulf and Lethe were pretty different too. The same went for quite a few of the other couples he was aware in the army. Maybe their differences were what attracted them together in the first place. Ike shrugged to himself and listened to his friend talk about how much better his life had gotten since Lethe accepted and returned his feelings. The two walked alongside each other with Ranulf doing almost all of the talking while Ike was content to just remain quiet for the most part. However, the blue haired cat was only building up to what he truly wanted to ask. Ranulf stared at Ike out of the corner of his violet eye. The mercenary was distracted with his own thoughts and was hardly paying attention to what was being said anymore. The cat grinned, now was his chance.

"So when do you plan on telling Micaiah that you have feelings for her?" Ranulf asked with an air of disinterest so as not to alert Ike of what he had really just asked.

"I'm planning on doing that today," the blue haired mercenary responded before his eyes widened as he realized what he had said and he glared at his grinning friend.

"I knew I could get you to openly admit it!" Ranulf cheered excitedly as he pumped his fist in the air. "No one believed I could do it, but I proved them all wrong. This is great! Do you have any idea how much money I bet on this? Wait, that's right I need to go collect my winnings. See you later Ike."

The blue haired mercenary stopped dead in his tracks as he watched the sky blue hair of his friend disappear into the crowd of soldiers behind him. There were actually other people who knew. Ike couldn't believe his ears. It wasn't just one person it was several and they even bet on weather or not one of them could get him to confess that he did have feelings towards Micaiah. Ike grumbled to himself as he shook his head and began to move along with the rest of the army. He looked up at the clear blue sky. It was considerably nicer then the cloudy and windy days they had had for the past few weeks. It was still terribly cold out and the sun did little to thaw his chilled body. His cape and jacket couldn't even keep the cold out. Ike shivered, he couldn't wait to be out of Daein. However, once they entered Begnion they would be right back to fighting again. Be miserable on the battlefield or be miserable in the bleak cold of the Daein mountains. Neither was very appealing, but everyone had to put up with both of them. Ike inhaled the crisp air, held his breath in for a second and then let it out. He would give anything for the Daein climate to suddenly change to a Gallian winter, which was only slightly cooler then the rest of the year in that country.

* * *

Micaiah sat in front of Mist on her horse. The silver haired mage was wrapped up in the blankets that the two slept in because she did not own a thick coat for the cold winter like the rest of the army. Micaiah only had the pink dress, gloves and blue cape she had been wearing during the last battle. It was a flashy outfit for the female officer and served as very poor protection against the crisp air. Mist on the other hand was well prepared for the winter weather. She had a coat that had been made from the hide of some animal. The fur on the inside insulated her body heat and the leather on the outside kept the wind from passing through. The brunette was also wearing thick riding pants which not only protected her legs from the friction against the saddle but were amazingly warm as well. She had her scarf wrapped more tightly around her neck and the lower portion of her face so that only her azure eyes were showing. Micaiah shivered, the blankets did little good at keeping her warm.

"So, Micaiah I have a question I'd like to ask you," Mist whispered into the ear of the prisoner in front of her. The chilled girl didn't answer so the brunette proceeded. "I told you that I think Ike has feelings for you, but you never said anything about what you thought about the matter in the past few days. Do you care for my brother at all or is it too soon for you to really say anything about how you feel?"

Micaiah's eyes widened and her face began to turn a very dark shade of crimson at being reminded that Ike may in fact care about her. She was very grateful that Mist could not see her reaction or else she would quickly figure out the answer. However, if that happened and Ike found out that she too liked him he would pursue those feelings. Micaiah's face scrunched up at the sudden realization that as long as their countries were at war they could never be together. She was the general of the Daein army and Ike was the general of the combined army for Apostle Sanaki. Mist stared at the unresponsive girl in front of her and was starting to get impatient waiting for an answer. Micaiah was shaken from her thoughts by a sudden poke to her ribs.

"Well, what do you have to say?" Mist asked with a demanding tone. "What are your thoughts on my brother?"

Micaiah stammered and stumbled over her words as she tried to think of some sort of lie that would satisfy the brunette, but not shut down all hopes of her being with Ike. However, Mist was quickly distracted by a certain cat with sky blue hair tugging at her coat. Micaiah immediately recognized the cat as the one she saw the day she had been captured. She heard the brunette call him Ranulf. The two exchanged greetings while the silver haired girl watched in silence. Mist stopped her horse and leaned down to allow the cat to whisper something in her ear. The girl snapped back upright almost immediately, squealed with glee and clapped her gloved hands together a few times.

"Ranulf, do you have any idea what this means?" Mist asked still extremely excited by whatever news she had been given.

"Yes I do," the cat responded with a grin that exposed his razor like fangs. "I'm fifty gold richer. I did what you wanted me to do now you have to pay up."

"That's not all," the brunette pouted her energy and excitement suddenly gone. "It means that Ike is finally able to close up wounds of the past and move on. Not just that, but now I have a plan to set in motion thanks to your information," Mist added with a sly grin.

The brunette removed a bag from her belt and began to pull gold coins from it. Once she had counted out the agreed amount she gave them to Ranulf and returned the bag and her remaining money to its place at her hip. With their exchange done Mist urged her horse to continue forward and the cat took off in another direction. Micaiah was curious, but had a hunch, as to what information Ranulf had gotten out of Ike. She was also a bit surprised at how aggressive the deceptively innocent Mist was. What was she planning to do? The silver haired girl quickly thought of what might involve the brunette's brother that would need a spy to figure out. Micaiah's cheeks blazed as she thought of Mist attempting to get her and Ike together. The girl shook her head to clear the thought, her silver hair swaying from side to side. The brunette sitting behind her took notice of this behavior and her attention was immediately drawn back to the captive.

"So, do you like my brother or not?" Mist asked as she pulled the girl in front of her closer. "If you don't give me an honest answer I will tell Ike that you do even if you don't. That would make a terrible mess of things so I prefer that you just respond now."

Micaiah froze. How could such a sweet girl suddenly become so cruel and forceful? She didn't want to give the brunette an answer because she didn't believe that she and Ike belonged together while their countries were at war. However, if she didn't say anything Mist would just tell Ike that she did have feelings for him. That was true, but it wasn't the way she wanted things to happen. Micaiah sighed in defeat. She had no other choice. She had to tell the truth. Golden brown eyes turned to meet azure ones. A bright crimson spread across Micaiah's fair skin as she gave a slight nod. Mist didn't respond at first, but then her eyes brightened and she threw her arms around the small frame of the girl in front of her. The horse snorted in protest for all the movement occurring on his back. However, neither Mist nor Micaiah paid any attention.

"You have to tell him!" the brunette girl exclaimed unable to contain her excitement. "I'll make sure he tells you too! Oh, this is just so perfect! The both of you would make such an adorable couple! After the war you can come and live with us at our fort back in Crimea!"

"Mist hold on, please," Micaiah protested with the overjoyed girl. "There is a really big problem with your whole plan. Actually, there are a few problems," the brunette settled down immediately at the mention of potential issues. "First, our countries are at war and Ike and I are the commanding generals of opposing armies."

Mist shook her head in disagreement. "That was before you were captured by us. That means you don't have to fight anymore and you can just be happy staying here at our camp. It could be like your temporary home and we could be your friends and family."

Micaiah's next words died on her lips. She had never even considered such an occurrence. It sounded too nice and far too convenient to ever be true. It would never work out. Would staying in the enemy's camp with the most hated man in Daein be considered betraying her country? Would sitting around in comfort be deserting her companions? Was her own happiness more important or was she just being selfish for ever hoping for such a thing to occur? What would Ike think of her brand? That last one scared Micaiah most of all. Mist placed a hand on the silver haired girl's shoulder. The physical contact eased the ex-general's mind slightly and put her worries to rest. She couldn't do anything even if she wanted to. Micaiah grinned to herself. She would just have to wait around until she was either rescued by Daein or the war ended. Either way she couldn't do anything for the time being to aid in the war effort.

"Your right Mist," Micaiah grinned as her visions and dreams of Ike came floating to her minds eye. "I don't have any reason to deny my feelings as long as I'm a captive here. I might as well try to enjoy the time I am here."

"Good to hear," Mist responded as she hugged the girl in front of her. "I'm going to make sure Ike comes by tonight and I will make the two of you admit your feelings for each other. This is going to be a great night!"

The two girls shared a light burst of laughter, but the feeling of joy and excitement quickly left Micaiah. She remembered the darker visions she had had, the dreams where Ike slew her countrymen, her friends, Sothe, and even turned his blade towards her before she woke up. Her visions were always correct and they occurred exactly as she saw them. There was no stopping it. She could not stop the future from happening and she had already begun to walk the path of her visions. The thought chilled the very core of Micaiah's body, however, the visions of the peaceful times that they would spend together filled her thoughts. She resigned herself to her fate and the fate of her friends whether it is for good or ill.

* * *

**Three cheers for Mist! Too bad I don't have a sister like that... Just kidding, my sister is great. That aside I'm progressing with this story rather nicely. I just can't wait to write the next chapter. I'm pretty sure that it's obvious by now what will happen, but then again I may have a surprise for everyone. Leave any comments, advice, or any kind of review that you want but the point is to just leave something. 'Til next time!**


	16. Awkward Confessions

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

Ack! I'm exhausted, but the year is nearly done. I have been studying for finals and testing for football which basically means killing myself with weight training and running on a daily basis. I'm aiming to get my three main lifts over 800lbs, I had 705lb last test so all of my lifts need to increase by a little more then 30lb. I've got that easily. Anyways, none of that really matters or has any relevance to the story but it is my excuse for not writing at all in about two weeks. Mist is forcing Ike and Micaiah to speed things up. Yay! Well, that's all I've got to say about this chapter. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

Ike grabbed a large bundle from within one of the canvas covered wagons in the supply caravan. In the large bag was what would soon become his living quarters for a day or two as well as his rolls of fur that he slept on. Hefting the sack onto one shoulder, the blue haired mercenary set off in search of a suitable location to set up. He looked around in search of a certain cat that had yet to return. Ike let out a heavy sigh and wondered who else may know about his feelings towards their captive. He went through the list of every person he was remotely close to and figured out the most likely candidates. Ike assumed that they were probably his sister, Titania, Boyd, Oscar, Mia, Rhys, maybe Soren and he already knew that Ranulf was aware of the situation. Ike let out another sigh, he had been more obvious then he had ever intended to be. However, when you are practically family it is inevitable that someone will pick up on even the mildest shift of emotions.

Ike spotted a location which he deemed suitable and dropped his bundle on it. He picked up and tossed out any fragments of stone that may impede his nightly rest. Satisfied, Ike began to pitch his tent. He took a wooden stake and pounded it into the ground with a sheathed Ragnell. He couldn't recall what happened to the mallet that he had once used to perform such a task. With a sufficient sized hole dug, the mercenary removed the stake and placed a wooden pole in the earth instead. He continued working until he had successfully set up his tent. Making sure that it was secure and stable Ike reached for the canvas bag that still contained the rolls of fur he slept on. When his hand didn't find it the mercenary turned to find that it was not where he had left. He did find a certain sky blue haired cat rummaging through his personal belongings though. Ike cleared his throat in order to get Ranulf's attention but the cat didn't hear him. With growing agitation Ike coughed into his hand which was louder then his first noise, but still not enough. The mercenary strode over to where his friend was hunched over, his head buried in a bag and his tail was swishing back and forth.

"That," Ike growled as he snatched the canvas sack off of Ranulf's head, "belongs to me."

"So sorry, Ike," the cat grinned sheepishly. "You know how we cats are, always curious and whatnot."

"Yeah, and don't forget that curiosity is what killed the cat."

"Cold as ice," Ranulf exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around himself and shivered. "You're so cold sometimes Ike, but I know exactly what will thaw that heart of yours."

The sound of approaching hooves caused the cat's ear to twitch and he turned to see who the rider was. A toothy grin spread across his face as he saw a pair of innocent azure eyes smiling at him. Micaiah's golden eyes peered around Mist's frame. However, she quickly hid behind the girl in front of her when she realized that Ike was staring right at her. The brunette gave her brother a grin that caused his stomach to churn. For some reason yet to be known to him, he didn't like the look his sister had just given him. It was not in any way the Mist that he knew. Her eyes were normally sweet and innocent, but now they were filled with mischief. Ike's uneasiness escalated when he saw the same look in Ranulf's emerald and violet eyes. The mercenary noticed that Micaiah too was on edge about the cat and seemingly innocent girl.

"Ranulf, would you be so kind as to make sure that my dear brother stops by my tent for a visit within the hour?" Mist asked as sweetly as she would if she were trying to get out of trouble. The cat ran his tongue over fangs and nodded vigorously. "Oh that is absolutely splendid! You will be coming over, right Ike?"

The large man nodded his head to show that he would indeed go to visit his sister. The tone that Mist spoke in was kind enough, but the look in her eyes sent shivers down Ike's spine. He didn't want to find out what his sister might do to him if he didn't go to see her. Satisfied, Mist kicked her heels into her horse's flanks and set off to set up her own tent. The two men watched her and Micaiah go. Ranulf turned to his friend, his toothy grin was still plastered on his face.

"I better go help her," the cat said with a grin as he backed away from Ike. "I'll come fetch you when she's ready. Bye for now!"

Ike watched as Ranulf ran after Mist and Micaiah. The mercenary sighed and rubbed the back of his head, nothing to do but wait to find out exactly what that cat and his sister had in mind. Ike pulled back the tent flap and entered. It was dark inside. There was a sufficient amount of light seeping through the fabric for him to see though. Ike removed the fur skins from the canvas bag and laid them out on the ground. Standing up, he turned to find a silhouetted figure in the entryway. It was a small robed person with long. Ike grinned, he knew that form all to well.

"Soren, what brings you here?" the large man asked the considerably smaller raven haired individual.

"Have you found out anything from our captive about why Daein is involved in this war?" the mage interrogated skipping any formalities and getting immediately to the point of his visit.

"No, but I haven't really had a chance to talk with Micaiah," Ike spoke as he remembered his true duty and the lie he had told everyone when he captured the Daein general. "I will be talking with her later on though. I'll see if I can find out anything then. Is that alright by you Soren?"

"It matters not whether it is fine by me or not," the raven haired mage responded flatly. "However, you are too soft with people, especially the ones that you have 'certain' feelings towards. You won't find out anything if you act kindly and wait for the prisoner to respond of her own accord. I would do things differently, but I am not the one to decide. That is all. I take my leave of you now."

Soren turned on his heel and let the tent flap fall from his grasp, the darkness engulfed Ike once more. The blue haired man sighed as he mulled over his friend's words in his head. Was he really too soft when it came to dealing with a prisoner of war? Kindness and being understanding are good attributes to have, but could they just be a burden during times of war? Ike shook his head in disagreement with his own thoughts. Soren would think that anyone was being too soft if the desired information was not obtained when he desired it. The small mage himself wasn't heartless though. He may act cold and unemotional, but he truly did feel and care about his actions. Ike grinned. His friends definitely were the greatest; even Shinon was a decent person from time to time. With that more cheerful thought in mind, the blue haired mercenary set out for the supply caravan to get several more items that he needed to set up in his tent.

* * *

The two girls dismounted from the horse that they had both been riding, each one stretching out their stiff legs. Mist unfastened a canvas bag that had been attached to her saddle. Within the bag there were the poles, stakes and fabric for a tent. The brunette sighed, she always hated setting up camp. It had been so much easier when Ike or Boyd had done it for her when she was younger. Micaiah watched curiously as Mist pouted and grumbled over something incomprehensible. Both girls turned when they heard someone call them. Mist's azure eyes brightened and she smiled as she saw a large green haired man emerge from behind a row of tents that had already been set up. Dropping the bag in her hands, the brunette ran to greet the man. Micaiah's hands grabbed her forearms as she saw Boyd snake his arms around Mist's waist and pull her into a tight embrace. Watching the couple reminded the silver haired girl just how alone she was in an enemy camp and it filled her with a sense of longing. The desire to have someone else besides her permeated her entire being.

"Thinking of Ike?" Micaiah jumped when the voice whispered into her ear. She spun around to see the smirking face of a blue cat. "Seeing as your face is redder then Skrimir's mane that is exactly what you were thinking. You naughty girl I bet you were imagining the two of you-"

"N-no, you've g-got it all w-wrong," Micaiah stammered as she shook her head furiously trying to convince Ranulf as well as herself that her thoughts were strictly pure and wholesome. "I was, I was, I… I was thinking about Ike," a grin split the cat's face. "But it's nothing like what you were implying!"

"Stop tormenting the poor girl Ranulf!"Mist demanded and the cat backed away and put his hands up defensively. "Good to see that you do indeed listen. Now could you please go get Ike?"

The playful grin fell from Ranulf's face and he nodded dutifully before taking off back in the direction of Ike's tent. Micaiah watched the laguz run. He was so much like a cat, but at the same time very much like a person. She pondered on that thought for several more moments. The same applied to almost every person, not just the laguz. Micaiah wondered what she would be if she were an animal of any sort. She thought of every attribute that she had personality wise. She was kind, reclusive and until recently very shy. What has those three traits? The image of a rabbit suddenly appeared to her in her mind's eye. What about Ike, what would he be? Ike is strong, kind, independent and very brave. He was a wolf. She thought further on the subject. She imagined a large wolf towering over a small rabbit that is cowering in its shadow. The thought made her blush slightly, that was how she felt sometimes.

Micaiah turned to see Boyd working diligently to set up their tent while Mist stood by and watched. That girl had absolutely no trouble getting what she wanted. The brunette gave the large green haired man a hug after he had finished what should have been her work. However, he didn't seem to mind the fact that she relied on him to do such a simple yet tedious task. In fact, he really seemed to enjoy not only working to help the small brunette but also the gratitude she gave him when he finished the work. Micaiah smiled at the couple. She would give anything to have a relationship that was so simple yet very affectionate as Mist and Boyd were. The visions of Ike holding her tight in his arms flooded her thoughts and she felt a warm sensation spreading throughout her entire body. That was what Mist was striving to achieve, a relationship of mutual feelings for her brother. She wanted him to be happy with a girl who would not betray and hurt him the way Elincia had during the Mad King's War. Micaiah smiled at the realization at how much everyone in the Greil Mercenaries cared for each other. They were like one large family. The warm feeling she got whenever one mercenary interacted with another was very much like the feelings she had when she was with the Dawn Brigade. She felt the compassion and the acceptance of all good and bad traits of each person. They were a family.

Mist called for Micaiah, bringing the girl out of her thoughts and back into reality. The silver haired girl walked over to see what she had been summoned for. Mist simply smiled and held back the tent flap for Micaiah to enter. The inside was dark, but the silver haired girl could see that Boyd had already brought in a small table as well as the cots that they slept in. Micaiah walked over to where she would be sleeping and sat down on the hard mattress. Mist sat down next to her.

"Ranulf should be bringing Ike back here right about now," the brunette exclaimed merrily as she squirmed with anticipation. "Can you imagine the two of you being together? You would make such a nice couple."

Micaiah's face became tinted with a light shade of pink and she glanced off to the side so that Mist would not see. She did want to be with Ike and she wanted to be happy. However, there was a difference between the two of them, a secret which she guarded from everyone. Her golden eyes glanced down at her gloved right hand. That thin layer of fabric hid the brand that cast her out of normal society. Micaiah's heart felt like it fell through her stomach. What would Ike think if he ever did find out about her heritage? Would he cast her out as all other people had? Mist noticed the worried expression on the face of the girl next to her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Micaiah welcomed the warm and comforting feeling of the slight physical contact. It helped to put her at ease to some extent, but it could not bury her fears of rejection.

"Don't worry," Mist said as she patted Micaiah on the back. "I know that Ike feels the same way about you. Trust me." Micaiah turned and gave the brunette a weak smile. "I bet that when the two of you are together you'll both completely forget about all of your worries, if only for a little while. I know I do when I'm with Boyd."

Micaiah admired Mist's attempt to cheer her up. Too bad she completely missed the real problem. The two sat in complete silence, both of them waiting for a certain someone to enter the tent. What seemed like hours passed by before the tent flap was pulled back allowing light to pierce through the darkness. Ike's head of untidy blue hair poked in and looked around. Mist jumped up and ran over to her brother. She latched onto his hand and practically dragged him inside. She sat him down on the cot across from Micaiah before she returned to her spot next to the silver haired girl. Mist smiled expectantly at the two of them, waiting for something to happen. Ike cleared his throat before beginning.

"Micaiah, our last meeting was cut short due to my sudden ailment, but I would like to pick up where we left off," the blue haired mercenary began. "Why is Daein involved in this war?"

"Boring," Mist yawned as she covered her mouth with one hand. "Let's forget about war for now and talk about something else."

"Mist this is kind of a pressing matter," Ike tried reasoning with his sister only to receive a glare from her.

"Ike," his sister called sweetly. "Don't you think Micaiah looks really pretty?"

Both Ike and Micaiah turned away from each other in embarrassment. Mist giggled into her hand as she watched the two attempted to compose themselves. When their faces had returned to their original color both turned to face each other once more. Ike shot a glare at his sister while Micaiah fidgeted nervously next to the girl.

"I'll take your silence as a yes," Mist teased her brother with a grin plastered on her face. "Plus, Micaiah already told me that she has feelings for you too Ike. Stop pretending to not care and tell her that you like her."

"Don't tell him!" Micaiah cried in anguish as her face turned a dark shade of crimson. "You said that you would keep quiet and let us talk. You said that I could tell him."

"Then tell him yourself," Mist said coyly.

Ike watched with wide eyes as the plan his sister had made came out into the open. She had known that nothing would ever happen if she just left the two of them to their own devices. Micaiah was far too shy and timid to ever openly admit anything and Ike felt like he was bound by duty and would be slow to showing affection to an enemy. Mist merely acted as the catalyst and sped up the entire process. She was forcing events that would have had to wait until the end of the war, to happen when she wanted them to. Ike merely watched as his sister continued to poke Micaiah as the two argued back and forth about what they had agreed upon. The blue haired mercenary felt completely ignored as neither girl even acknowledged the fact that he was there. He let out a sigh and waited for the two girls to finish their little dispute. He sat there listening as Mist and Micaiah went back and forth. They were making no progress whatsoever as they continued saying the same thing over and over again.

"Say it," Mist demanded as she poked Micaiah in the side again.

"No, you already told him," the silver hair girl whined as she tried to fight off the unwavering assault from the brunette.

"Say it to him now!"

"No!"

Ike rolled his eyes at the sudden lack of maturity from both females. He lay back on the cot and began to trace figures with his finger on the rough fabric of the tent. He listened as the argument continued on and on seemingly without an end. The mercenary hoped that that he would not need to get involved, but he could endure no more of the girls bickering. With an annoyed grunt Ike stood up abruptly catching the attention of both Mist and Micaiah. He fixed a stern and reprimanding gaze on both of them.

"Mist, I appreciate what you are trying to do but I think you've caused enough damage for one day," Ike sighed as his sister pouted and glared at him.

"Okay, but I want you to answer one question for me," the brunette said slyly with a mischievous sparkle in her azure eyes. "Do you or do you not want to be with Micaiah?"

Ike's eyes narrowed dangerously at his sister and she returned his glare. Micaiah stared at the siblings as they silently challenged each other. However, she really hoped that he would answer the question in her favor.

"Fine, but you have to leave immediately afterwards," Ike grunted as he turned away from his sister's gaze. "I will not deny the fact that I do have feelings for her. However, it is not up to me to decide upon whether or not there will be any type of relationship. You have my answer so you can go now."

Mist smiled triumphantly, but made no movements towards the exit. She continued to sit on the cot next to Micaiah. Ike pointed towards the opening in the tent and motioned with his hand for her to leave. However, his sister merely shook her head in disagreement.

"I want to hear what Micaiah has to say on the matter," Mist spoke while innocently smiling at the other two people in the tent. "Micaiah, do you like my brother?"

Ike walked over, picked his sister up and tucked her securely under one arm. She beat his chest with her comparatively small hands. It did no good as he walked her outside as she thrashed about the entire time. Once he had successfully removed his sister from the tent and set her down, he disappeared back inside. Ike stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Micaiah standing before him. She was not looking up at his face, rather she fixed her gaze upon anything that seemed of interest on the ground. One of her hands twirled a lock of her silver hair between two fingers while the other hand clung to the opposite shoulder.

"Do you really like me?" Micaiah asked her voice barely audible, but just enough for Ike to catch her words.

"Yeah, I honestly do," the large man responded calmly. "I wouldn't lie about anything like this."

"That's good to know," she sighed as she took a step closer to him.

Micaiah closed the distance between them in just a few more slow steps. She grabbed hold of the fabric of Ike's shirt with each hand and pulled herself closer to his body. The whole time she prayed for his acceptance. Ike remained unresponsive for several seconds. He couldn't believe what had happened within the course of a few minutes. He quickly came to his senses and wrapped his arms around Micaiah's thin waist. The silver haired girl enjoyed the warmth that radiated from Ike's body. It was a unique sensation that she was not accustomed to mainly due to the fact that she was an outcast. Both relished in the sensation that they received just from the physical contact. Neither wanted it to end, but as with all things, this too had to end. However, it did not end by either Ike's or Micaiah's consent. They pulled apart from each other when they heard a shrill whistle very near by.

"Perfect, just absolutely perfect," Ranulf cheered as he began to retreat towards the exit. "Oh, and by the way Ike I was a bit worried about you for a while there. I thought you may have been gay or something after that devastating break up with Elincia. I'm glad to see that you are chasing a girl's ass and not mine."

"I'm going to kill you," Ike growled as the cat laguz dashed from the tent with a very angry mercenary hot on his heels. "You had better hope I don't catch you!"

Micaiah ran after the two of them, but stopped immediately. They had both vanished from her sight. She could hear them yelling, well she could hear Ike yelling. The silver haired girl let out a sigh and kicked a rock on the ground in mild frustration. Micaiah glanced over when Mist placed an arm around her shoulder.

"Get used to it," the brunette said with a slightly bitter tone. "That cat will almost always appear out of nowhere at the worst moments possible. I don't know if he intends to do those sorts of things, but he definitely ruined many a moment for Boyd and me."

**

* * *

Tada! And just like that I have completed yet another chapter. It was kind of silly. Good for me, better for you. Go Mist and shame on Ranulf. Hahaha! Once I get through this next week, I will practically be done with school for the year. That means I'll have more free time to write and be spending less time on unimportant things like homework. Just kidding, homework is really important. All of this is besides the point here. Leave a review of any kind. Praise, suggestions, questions and even complaints are acceptable. Thanks for reading.**


	17. Micaiah's Medical Lesson

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

Well I'm back again with another chapter. Things are really starting to pick up for Ike and Micaiah. They know that they both have mutual feelings all thanks to Mist, but they still have to deal with one very large and persistent issue. They are at war and neither of them should be attempting a relationship with the commander of the enemy's army. Yeah, that's kind of a big problem... I've said enough for now. Enjoy!**

* * *

The day was fading quickly into twilight, but there was still enough light seeping through the fabric of the tent to see by. Ike lay, motionless on his roll of fur. The musty scent of the skin from the animal coated the mercenary as always. It was always about him in the winter months. He always had the musty scent of an animal that never set foot indoors once in its life. Ike was not interested in trivial matters such as the way he smelled. He was far too preoccupied with his own thoughts to care. He kept playing his most recent encounter with Micaiah over and over in his head. Each time he thought about the scene it made less and less sense as to how he could be so lucky. How was it possible to find that he could actually find a person with mutual feelings? The large man let out a content sigh, it had been several days since then. He had gone back several times a day to his sister's tent just to talk with Micaiah. Ike grinned up at the roof of the tent. He realized that he was truly happy for the first time in a long time, too long to remember.

The sound of someone pulling back the tent flap and entering captured Ike's attention. He wiped his grin off of his face and his head lolled to the side the intruder was coming from. The mercenary's eyes fell upon the soft, kind face of Begnion's Holy Guard, Sigrun. He cursed his luck for being caught in his own tent by one of the last people he wanted to deal with. Ike simply detested his encounters with the aristocracy of Begnion. Of course Sigrun and Astrid were exceptions, but they still couldn't grasp the concept of absolute poverty that a large number of people all over the continent go through. Sigrun gave Ike a warm smile of greeting and immediately the mercenary felt as if her visit would not be a pleasant one.

"General Ike, I have come to inform you of the recent activities of one of your mercenaries," the knight began in her soft voice. "Soren has of late been spending long hours with our blacksmiths. He has also been asking numerous soldiers about their fighting styles and how they use a weapon. Finally, he has been spending a great deal of time pestering the Apostle for any books, scrolls or simply general information about Ragnell and Alondite. Normally, we would be fine with his activities, but he has become quite obnoxious. Soren is requesting that he be allowed to not only observe the creation of weapons but also that he be granted several of each kind for experimentation. We are concerned by his behavior and we wish that you do something about it."

Ike let out a sigh. He had no idea what the little strategist was up to, but it was probably something that could potentially aid their fight. Soren never wasted time doing anything that he didn't believe would bring about results that were beneficial to the mercenary company. He planned things out down to the most miniscule detail. He prepared for any scenario no matter how unrealistic it may be. Ike had full confidence in whatever his friend was doing, but for the sake of appearing as if he actually cared he had to go see what was happening. The army was just too strict on the most unusual things. Soren wasn't doing any harm so there should be no reason to halt his research. Ike sat up and faced Sigrun.

"Alright, I'll go see what he's up to," Ike said as he pushed himself off of the ground.

"One more thing, General Ike," he turned to face her just as he was about to exit his tent. "What about your progress with our captive? Have you learned anything new about why Daein may be involved in this war?"

Ike shook his head to show that he had learned nothing as of yet. He also didn't really try to force Micaiah to tell him anything she didn't want to. It didn't matter to him why Daein was involved in the war to begin with. All that truly counted was the fact that they are there, they are the enemy and they need to be defeated. Why should their reasons for engaging in combat have anything to do with fighting them? The nobility really knew how to waste time. They made a ritual out of it. Wasting time was a common ceremony for them. They always made formal introductions, wanted to know practically useless information and were always concerned about gaining more status. Ike grabbed Ragnell and pushed back the tent flap to leave when he felt something pull on his arm. He turned and his azure eyes fell upon Sigrun. She was holding onto his forearm. He glared at her and she returned his agitated gaze with one of her own.

"You are treading on thin ice, General Ike," Sigrun spoke with uncharacteristic venom laced in with her normally sweet voice. "The Apostle is not pleased with the results you are producing. You had better make some decent progress with the captive or you may find yourself being released of your duties."

"Good," Ike shot back with considerable anger in his voice. He knew that his life had just been threatened. To disappoint the Apostle generally resulted in death. "I never wanted this job to begin with. It was you and your damned trickery that forced me into it. But I do wonder who would replace me if you do decide to relieve me of my duties?"

Sigrun's face darkened with the realization that Ike could not be replaced as he was the only one that was trusted by all the countries and various races of people represented in the joint army. She turned her head away so she would need to look at the mercenary. Ike grinned victoriously. He had just won against a member of the nobility. He loved these moments. Sigrun wasn't like most of the other nobles, but she still possessed qualities that all members of the aristocracy had. She held an air of superiority, she expected her commands to be followed without question and she knew nothing about real hardships.

"Now you understand it," Ike spoke with his grin still plastered on his face. "I can't be replaced. If you do try to replace me what do you think will happen? The army would fall apart and probably start fighting amongst themselves. That is what would happen. Think about it. If you were to put a general of Begnion in charge the laguz would feel offended by it. If General Skrimir was to be given command most of the beorc troops would think of it as an insult. There is no Crimean general to place in charge so that leaves them out. The only other qualified person to lead this army would be General Zelgius who deserted the army to go save Sephiran. I can't be replaced General Sigrun."

With that said Ike pulled his arm out of her hand and stormed out of his tent. He left behind a dumbfounded Sigrun who had just been subject to her first ever verbal thrashing. Never before had she been spoken to in such a harsh and angry tone. Not just that, but she had lost in an argument to someone that was of common birth and had little schooling in the arts of debate. It was a very humbling experience for her. Sigrun stared at the swaying tent flap that Ike had just exited. He had most definitely changed since the Mad King's War. He was more assertive in his command, he knew how to lead an army and he no longer hesitated in giving orders. However, Sigrun did not see in him the compassion and kindness he once held towards all people. She saw all of the anger and pain that he kept bottled up inside. Ike had definitely changed, but it wasn't a transformation for the better.

The large blue haired mercenary stomped his way between the organized rows of tents. He fixed Ragnell's sheath on his back so that the strap crossed over his chest. A grim expression was etched onto his face and his eyes blazed with a fiery rage. He murmured curses on all members of the aristocracy around the world under his breath. Ike wasn't even paying any attention to which direction he was headed. It didn't matter to him anyways. He was too filled with frustration to care where he ended up. He was just trying to calm himself down so he didn't accidentally do something he would regret doing later. However, as fate would have it the wrong person showed up at exactly the wrong moment. Ike didn't even notice the cheery sword wielder until she was tugging at his arm.

"Hey Boss!" Mia exclaimed with her usual energy and joy. "How about another match? It's been far too long since we last got a chance to spar with each other. I'm always so close to defeating you, but you always manage to pull through in the end and I don't get it. But I know I can beat you for sure this time! I even have Rhys here with me already!"

"No," Ike replied coldly as he attempted to get his anger under control.

"Come on, please," Mia begged as she batted her eyelashes and pouted. "You look like you are under a ton of stress. A fight is exactly what you need to feel better. Don't worry, I'll make you feel all better when I'm done."

"Mia, that sounds very suggestive," Rhys chimed in with concern in his voice.

Ike listened as the couple argued over what appropriate and inappropriate behavior was. He didn't know why, but their voices were only irritating him more. He had no idea as to why he was getting so angry about minor things that hardly bothered him before. The aristocracy had always gotten him riled up and people arguing generally was annoying. Never before had he been this affected by either one. Ike could feel the fingers on his sword hand twitch with anticipation and desire. He clenched his hand into a fist in an attempt to try and calm himself down, but it did little good. His left hand held his right one down because he knew if he drew his sword he wouldn't be able to control himself. Ike could hear that inner voice, the righteous part of him, fading into a whisper. Instead he began to hear the evil voice from his nightmares. His will to stay in control slipped away as his left and fell at his side. His sword hand made its way to Ragnell's hilt.

Mia turned to see Ike with his sword drawn. She gave an exuberant cheer and drew her own blade. She prepared to strike when something about her opponent caught her attention. He wasn't looking at her. Instead he was facing the ground. His bangs, which were not restrained by his headband, hung down and hid his face. Mia lowered her guard, expecting some type of explanation for the unusual behavior. Ike looked up and the emerald eyes of the sword wielder widened in fear. She immediately recognized the blood lust in her opponent's gaze. Ike ran his tongue along his lips in anticipation, a wicked grin spread across his face. Mia took a cautious step backwards and Rhys turned to flee.

"I'm going to go get Boyd, Gatrie and anyone else strong enough to hold Ike down!" Rhys shouted as he ran away. "Hold him off until I get back with help!"

"Don't worry, I've fought Ike at full strength before," Mia exclaimed trying to build her confidence and reassure herself that she would be okay. "I've held out against him before for almost twenty minutes. How hard could it be to keep him busy for a little while?"

The large mercenary chuckled at Mia's last comment. She stared at him wondering what he had found about what she said funny enough to laugh at. It didn't matter, as long as Ike wasn't paying attention he was vulnerable to an attack. She charged at her opponent and prepared to strike when he stepped off to one side with speed she was not used to seeing. Mia dove to the ground as Ragnell's golden edge passed over her head. She rolled away and scrambled to her feet in time to fend off a powerful blow from Ike. The sheer force of the strike was enough to send her stumbling back several steps. The large man pressed his offensive and chased Mia down. Ike slashed horizontally at her and she ducked below his blade. She attempted to sweep her opponents legs out from under him with a kick, but he leapt over her attack. She watched as he passed over her and swung Ragnell down towards her head. Mia fell flat against the ground, narrowly avoiding being cleaved in two. She rolled over onto her back in time to see Ike's arm poised for a stab. She waited to the last second to roll out of harm's way. Ragnell's tip split the ground with ease.

Mia once again scrambled to get on her feet so she could hope to hold Ike off until help arrived. She was panting heavily and sweat was beginning to drip from her forehead. She took several steps back to allow herself some space to maneuver in. She took her stance and waited for her crazed commander to make his move. A wicked grin split Ike's face, his eyes flashed dangerously. He took one menacing step after another towards Mia. Her commander's mannerism entombed her body with ice. She had never before felt so paralyzed with fear in her entire life. Where did the warm and friendly Ike go? Where was the commander she had once known? Where was that man? Who was this new man? Mia watched helplessly as Ike closed the distance between them. She did nothing as his fingers took firm hold of her neck. She could only wonder what happened as he hoisted her over his head with one hand. Her will to fight vanished as her life was slowly suffocated by the man she had followed with great passion. Mia's sword fell from her hand and stuck in the ground at Ike's feet.

The pure look of amusement in his azure eyes terrified her. Her commander was enjoying himself as he choked the life from her body. Tears welled up in her emerald eyes as she realized that she had reached the end. She was going to die. Suddenly something collided with Ike's body with such force that it caused him to drop his victim. The air rushed back into Mia's lungs with a furious burning sensation that caused her to cough violently. Her body collapsed on the cold earth, she had no strength left to even sit up. Mia could see Boyd wrestling with Ike on the ground. Gatrie, Shinon, Oscar and Mist were all rushing into the fray. Rhys dropped to his knees next to the collapsed violet haired sword wielder. He examined the bruised flesh on her neck and immediately began to whisper prayers to the goddess as he healed Mia's wounds.

"Ike, what do you think you're doing?" Mist screamed at her brother with fear laced heavily in her tone. "Don't you realize who you are fighting? You nearly just killed Mia a moment ago! You're fighting your friends here! Ike, come back to your senses! Please, I'm begging you! Wake up!"

"It's no use Mist," Rhys spoke up as he continued healing the injured member of the mercenary company. "Can't you tell he's gone berserk again? We need him to drink something filled with the power of order. He's too full of chaos at the moment. We need to try to bring him back into a balance."

"Holy water is blessed by followers of the goddess' teachings so that should work," the brunette exclaimed excitedly. "You have some in your tent don't you Rhys?"

The priest nodded. Mist's eyes brightened and she ran off to go retrieve a phial of the liquid. Meanwhile, the other three men had joined Boyd in his attempt to keep their commander down. However, Ike was not about to give up without a very hard fight. He kicked Shinon off of his legs and knocked Gatrie back with a well placed punch to the man's knee. With two of his human restraints gone, Ike rolled over bringing the other two men with him. As his two remaining captors collided with the ground they lost their hold on Ike. He scrambled to his feet before anyone else could grab him and prepared to fight. Boyd, Gatrie, Oscar and Shinon all rushed to surround their opponent so that he wouldn't get away.

"Just make sure you keep him under control until Mist gets back!" Rhys shouted to the four men. "She will be returning with something that should be able to return Ike to his normal self!"

"Like I ever liked that asshole to begin with," Shinon grumbled. "It would be so much easier to just let me put an arrow through his knee. That would teach him a lesson and it would keep him in place too."

"It would also incapacitate him temporarily," Oscar countered. "We're here to help Ike not hurt him."

The pink haired archer snorted with disgust that he would actually help the man he despised with a passion. However, if Ike was unable to lead the Greil Mercenaries the archer would have nowhere to go. It was his excuse for helping out. The four men began to close the gap separating them from their commander. Ike's azure eyes darted from one potential threat to the next. He spun around to face the enemies closing from behind. He selected a target, waited for him to draw closer and then he made his move. Ike's fist made solid contact with Oscar's face. The paladin fell to the ground from the power behind the blow. His younger brother stepped in the way to prevent their commander from escaping. Shinon and Gatrie jumped on Ike from behind and held his arms down by his side. Boyd took his opportunity to grab the unrestrained legs of the struggling blue haired mercenary.

"Rhys, do you have any type of seal or binding magic you could use on Ike?" Boyd yelled as he struggled to hold his commander down as the man kicked and thrashed about to get free. "We won't be able to hold him like this for long."

The frail priest nodded and rushed over, pulling a small oval shaped piece of bronze out from within the folds of his robes. He tossed the seal under his feral commander and began to utter incantations he had long since memorized in his long career as the company's main healer. Binding spells were a necessity for painful operations when drugs were not available to render the patient unconscious or numb them enough so that they no longer could feel anything. This particular seal was designed to completely paralyze the person and place them into a deep sleep temporarily. The time the seal worked for varied from person to person based on several factors. The magical abilities of the person using the seal, how much of the person is moving and how resilient they are attempting to be to the spell. Ike was fighting with every fiber of his being to free himself from the grasp of his fellow mercenaries. However, the natural talent that Rhys possessed in the field of sorcery was enough to subdue him. Boyd, Oscar, Shinon and Gatrie warily released their hold on their commander's limbs. Mia walked over, rubbing her sore neck, to look at what had become of the man she constantly compared herself to as a fighter. Mist ran into the ring of people surrounding her unconscious brother. She clutched the flask in her hand tighter when she saw Ike on the ground. She hated to see him being overpowered by himself like this. Mist glanced around to see if anyone was around to see them. She let out a sigh of relief when she realized that they were alone.

"Let's hurry up and get him somewhere where he won't hurt himself or anyone else," Rhys muttered the spell had taken a lot of energy out of him. "That seal will last for fifteen minutes at the least considering Ike's condition. At most it could last for maybe an hour, but that's a very large stretch. Either way we must get him out of the public's eye. No one can see him like this."

"Let's take him to my tent," Mist suggested. "It's really close by and I can take care of him. It would be the best place to take him. He wouldn't be bothered by military issues there because no one would know he was there. It's the perfect place for him to rest and recover."

"Where is it?" Oscar asked as he scanned the rows of nearly identical tents hoping that he would find something that would indicate which one belonged to the brunette healer.

"Just follow her," Boyd said as he picked up one of Ike's limp limbs. "She'll lead us there."

The other three men followed the example of the large ax wielder and took hold of one of their commander's free limbs. Mist checked to see that no one was around before setting off in the direction of her tent. Rhys rushed after them as fast as his legs would carry him. Mia sheathed her own sword and picked up Ragnell before following the group.

* * *

Micaiah sat at the edge of her cot kicking her legs back and forth. She let out a sigh, she never knew what to do with herself when Mist was gone and no one came to visit. She wasn't permitted to leave unless she was under guard so she didn't get out often. Her golden eyes sparkled with excitement when she heard something approaching. She lived for visitors, it was all she had ever since she had become a captive. Mist sprinted through the entrance. She was panting heavily and holding a flask in her hands.

"Move, move, move!" the brunette ordered as she pulled Micaiah up.

The silver haired girl practically jumped as four men burst through the tent's opening. They were carrying something that Micaiah couldn't quite see because their bodies were blocking her view. She recognized three of the men from their first encounter at the river and she knew two of their names. The green haired man was Boyd and the man with the pink hair in a pony tail was Shinon. She had never seen the other man with green hair before. Another man entered the tent completely out of breath. He was clad in white robes, but Micaiah couldn't remember his name. Close behind the newcomer was a purple haired girl with Ragnell in her hands. All of them huddled around whatever was laying on her cot. They spoke in hushed whispers, but the exact words they were saying Micaiah couldn't quite make out. She let out a sigh, there were people near her but she was being totally ignored. Not even Mist was acknowledging her existence. That only meant that this was something very important.

Micaiah crossed over to where Mist normally would sleep and lay down. She patiently waited for everyone to leave or at least inform her of what was happening. The archer Shinon and the large blond haired man left together exposing to Micaiah's vision the legs of an unknown person. The purple haired girl was the next to leave, but before going she stuck Ragnell into the hard earth by the person's feet. However, that alone was enough of a clue to tip Micaiah off as to who the person was. She leapt up from her spot and crossed the short distance to an empty spot at the side of the cot as fast as she could. Her golden brown eyes widened with utter disbelief. Ike lay unconscious before her. Mist took notice of Micaiah's presence and calmly walked over to the shocked silver haired girl. The brunette placed one comforting arm around the other girl and they looked down at the mercenary commander together. Mist fixed her attention on the flask in her hand as she swirled the contents inside of it around. Her azure eye's brightened and a triumphant grin splashed across her face. She turned to face the other girl.

"Micaiah, could I ask a favor of you?" Mist asked in as sweet and innocent a tone as she could muster. Micaiah nodded without ever considering what the brunette might possibly want. "Good, that is very kind of you to accept without knowing what I was going to ask. I was wondering if you would you take care of my brother for me?"

"W-what do, I-I m-mean I, ummm," Micaiah stammered as her blood rushed to her face. She glanced around the tent hoping for some kind of excuse to decline.

"You already said you would," Mist pouted and Micaiah's face turned an even darker shade of crimson. Rhys watched the entire scene unfold. He just shook his head as he realized just what the brunette was getting at. "I need you to give him a bit of this every hour or so," Mist instructed as she held up the flask of medicine. "Do you even know how to give an unconscious person liquid medicine? I truly think you will enjoy this."

"I-I've only just recently been introduced to the healing arts and the medical field so no I don't know how to give unconscious patients liquid medicine," Micaiah explained to the increasingly excited girl. "Will you tell me what I need to do?"

A sly and smile crossed Mist's face as she leaned in to whisper in Micaiah's ear. Her golden brown eyes widened and her face began to darken again. The brunette pulled back and nodded. Micaiah shook her head violently, silver hair flying every which way. Mist nodded again and received the same response from the other girl. Rhys let out a sigh before leaving the tent. He dragged the other two men who were still there out with him. Micaiah wrung her hands together and fixed her gaze on the ground as if there was something very interesting at her feet.

"I-I can't do that," the silver haired girl exclaimed with very little conviction in her voice. "I just can't do that. What if he woke up while I was trying to give him his medicine? It's just too embarrassing!"

"Listen Micaiah, you agreed to this without knowing so this is your fault," Mist explained as she wagged her finger at the other girl. "And yes you have to give an unconscious patient his medicine, if it's liquid, through your mouth. It is the most efficient way to make sure that the patient gets every drop and nothing is wasted. Allow me to explain further," Mist was getting a great deal of entertainment from the whole situation, but she held a straight face and kept her instructive tone as she explained the process to Micaiah. "First, you'll need to get Ike into an upright position. The easiest and most efficient way for someone as small as you to do this is to straddle the person."

"No way!" Micaiah yelled and shook her head. She buried her burning face in her hands. "I can't be in a position like that with Ike. I-I'd die of embarrassment. What if he woke up and saw me?"

"It gets better then just straddling him," Micaiah felt as if her head would explode from all the blood rushing to it. "You will need to use your tongue to make sure the medicine makes it down his throat and doesn't just get stuck in his mouth. Since Ike's so heavy I'll help you lift him into an upright position, but after that the rest is up to you."

"You're the one who knows how to do this, you give Ike his medicine," Micaiah exclaimed proud of herself for finding an excuse. "You have more experience then I do in the medical field so you should be the one to do it. Besides, what if I screw up?"

"Then this is a perfect learning opportunity for you," Mist countered. "Plus he's my brother. I could never stick my tongue down his throat. You on the hand probably have wanted to do this for some time. You should view this as an opportunity and not some kind of chore."

Mist pushed the flask into Micaiah's stomach and the silver haired girl involuntarily grabbed it from the impact. The brunette practically skipped over to where Ike's head lay and waved for Micaiah to do her part. The silver haired girl took several calming breaths before walking over to the unconscious man. Mist pointed instructively to where Micaiah should position herself on Ike's body. The spot she was indicating to was directly below his waist. The silver haired girl hesitated, frozen with uncertainty and fear. Mist rolled her azure eyes at the other girl.

"Being there allows you enough leverage to lift him and also allows him to bend enough to lift him," the brunette explained.

Micaiah nodded and with a few more calming breaths, climbed on top of Ike's waist. Despite her embarrassment, she couldn't help but enjoy herself up there. She let her free hand glide along Ike's chest and stomach. Even with a thick shirt covering his body she could still feel his muscles. Absentmindedly she repeated this motion several more times as she stared at the unconscious face of the man she had increasing feelings for.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself up there," Mist commented with a sly grin. Micaiah's face brightened again and she brought her hand back into her chest. "Alright, now that you are done playing lets get down to the really fun part. I'll push him up and you pull him. Go ahead and set the flask down right behind you. On three now. One, two, three."

Mist pushed up on the back of Ike's shoulders as Micaiah pulled with her arms wrapped around his upper torso. Together the two girls managed to bring their patient into an upright position. Mist hopped onto the cot and placed her back against her brothers to prevent him from falling backwards. With a support behind him Micaiah let go of Ike.

"Now take a drink from the flask, hold the liquid in your mouth and force it into his," Mist instructed as she turned to try and get a glimpse of the upcoming scene. However, her brother was too tall and his shoulders were too broad for her to see beyond them.

Micaiah took the flask and uncorked the top of it. Taking a sizable drink from it she replaced the stopper to its proper place. She rose to her knees to be level with Ike's face. Her body was pressed against his. The physical contact caused her heart rate to increase rapidly. Placing a hand on either side of his face she pulled him even closer. Micaiah leaned in until she felt her lips touch his. She closed her eyes as she stuck her tongue in his mouth and let the medicine pass to him. Ike coughed as the liquid rushed down his throat and his eyes flew open to find silver hair. Micaiah pulled back and opened her eyes to find azure ones staring right back at her. Before she could react she found her self being pulled back towards Ike. Mist stood up and smiled to herself.

"That was perfect timing on his part," Mist commented to herself as she watched to couple share a series of kisses. She walked towards the exit to give her brother and Micaiah the privacy they deserved for such an intimate moment.

* * *

**That sure was a long chapter, but it was worth it. I hope everyone enjoyed reading this because I certainly enjoyed writing it. Something about these two is just perfect. Anyways, you guys know what to do now. Leave reviews of any sort, everything is welcomed. Keep reading and I hope to be up with another chapter soon.**


	18. A Secret Revealed

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

**

**For some reason it seems like I haven't done any writing in about a decade… Well that doesn't matter because I'm getting another chapter going. The last one was rather nice, but as everyone has probably already experienced life rarely lets you hold onto those wonderful moments. Poor Ike and Micaiah, there are very few people who approve of your love. Not only do they not approve, there are some who are going to fight against it. Those people will be revealed in due time, but I'm sure that you guys can probably already guess a few. Anyways I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"_How long do you think you can keep this a secret?" _the sinister and familiar voice of Miedo resounded in the dark depths of Ike's mind_. "You can't play the double role of General Ike the Hero of Tellius and just Ike. It's taking too much of a toll on your mind, body and soul. Your previous outburst should be enough proof. You nearly killed her. That girl, Mia was her name. Don't you recall that event? No, well that's to be expected when you lose control to me. All of the chaos being created by this war will drive you to insanity if you continue to resist your true nature. If that happens not even I will be able to save that physical body of yours. You will die if you fight who you are. Just a letting you know. Well, you've slept long enough for tonight. It's time to wake up. Now get up!"_

Ike sat up with a start, the covers falling off of his chest and crumpling into a pile in his lap. His breathing was elevated to an intensity that was usually only reached during intense physical activity. Several beads of sweat rolled down his forehead from his unruly blue hair. Ike took several calming breaths to stabilize his heart rate and to get under control once more. His eyes scanned the vast darkness of the tent. He smiled remembering that he was not in his own. Rolling over onto his stomach, Ike inhaled deeply the scent of the original inhabitant of the cot that he was currently in. Smiling slightly as he caught a small dose of Micaiah's smell. The blue haired mercenary pushed himself up and he walked over to the entrance to the tent. He pulled the flap back and a cool night breeze stung his face. That worthless Miedo had made him wake up well before sun rise. The pale moonlight shone in past his body and illuminated segments of the dark tent. Looking back, Ike saw Micaiah sleeping with his sister in the same cot.

With the light he was able to spot his boots lying in the back of the tent next to his sister's and Micaiah's. Ike let the tent flap close as he walked over to retrieve his foot wear. As he was about to leave for a second time he bumped into something, but caught it before it could fall and disrupt the two girls' slumber. The feel of the object was unmistakable. Ike slung Ragnell's sheath over one shoulder and finally made his exit. He paused momentarily giving one last sideways glance at Micaiah's pale face in the moonlight. He noticed how her silver hair shimmered in the moonlight and her skin practically glowed. She truly looked like a celestial being. Ike smirked at the thought and slipped out into the night. However, the tent flap continued to sway back and forth causing the light from the moon to repeatedly shine over Micaiah's face and then send it back into darkness. The process irritated her body out of its slumber. Her golden eyes fluttered open. They were still filled with the heaviness of a deep sleep.

The sound of footfalls on hard packed earth woke her up entirely and she immediately got up to examine the cot that once had Ike in it. Now it was empty. Micaiah quickly threw her boots on not even bothering to lace them up. Her only goal was to catch up to the sound of footfalls that had already faded into the distance. Micaiah dashed out of the tent only to be torn apart by an icy blast of night air. It quickly reminded her that one of Mist's skirts, although longer on her then the brunette due to the fact that Micaiah was shorter, was not proper winter attire. Still, she didn't care. She only had the desire to find where Ike had gone off to. She wasn't entirely sure why she felt she needed to find him, but it was an intense magnetic pull that caused her to chase the footfalls that had woken her up. However, since it was night there were groups of soldiers, both beorc and laguz, on patrol throughout the camp.

Micaiah began to move as quickly and quietly as she possibly could in the direction the person she believed to be Ike had gone in. She stuck to the shadows of the tents whenever she could, but there were times when she had to dash through the open when there was no one around. Micaiah paused as she approached yet another stretch of open space between the rows of tents. She could see the light of the torches of a beorc patrol unit nearing. However, she believed she would have enough time to get into cover before they ever spotted her. Micaiah took a deep breath and dashed into the open. She had failed to check if anyone else was in the vicinity and ended up crashing into a single person who did not carry a torch. She stumbled back into a rack that held spears for whenever there was an ambush. These arms racks were scattered all over the camp so that no soldier would ever be too far away from a weapon. Micaiah lost her balance and pushed off of the rack to avoid falling. Instead of her falling the weapon rack fell to the ground with a considerable crash.

Micaiah turned to run, but a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She glanced up at her captor to see a very familiar pair of azure eyes filled with surprise staring back at her. Both Ike and Micaiah turned as the sound of the approaching patrol brought their dire situation to attention. If Micaiah was found roaming the camp at night with him they would both be in serious trouble. Ike shoved the silver haired girl in the direction of a tent.

"Supply tent, hide now!" he hissed as the patrol unit came running down to row of tents towards the crash they had heard. Micaiah lifted one edge of the canvas wall and crawled under into the darkness within.

"Who goes there?" the captain of the patrol unit yelled as he approached but his eyes widened in realization of the man he was addressing. "G-general Ike, I was unaware that it was you. Please forgive me for being so rude."

"Don't worry, I was merely out checking on the patrol units," Ike responded nonchalantly acting as if he had nothing to hide. "I didn't have a torch and couldn't see very well which is why I knocked over that weapon rack. That was the noise you heard earlier. You men can continue your patrol. I will clean up the mess that I created."

"Yes sir!" all the soldiers in the unit saluted in unison and marched off to continue with their night watch.

Ike waited until the light from their torches had passed from sight behind another row of tents before he spoke. "Its all clear, you can come out now." Micaiah crawled out from under the tent and dusted herself off before walking to within inches of Ike. "What are you doing out at this hour?"

Even in the pale, silver light of the moon Ike could see the pink tint spreading across Micaiah's face. She stammered trying to find any word. For some reason she simply could not tell him that he was the reason she had left the tent. Her whole body tensed as she felt him take hold of her hands. Ike's eyes widened at the lack of warmth coming from Micaiah's body. Her skin was practically ice cold to the touch.

"Why did you come out here like this?" Ike asked with a bit of aggression in his tone of voice. "Why didn't you at least grab something a bit more appropriate for this kind of weather before leaving? You can get really sick if you stay in the cold like this! What were you thinking? Wait, what am I saying? Why are you out here period? Do you have any IDEA what will happen if you were to be caught?"Ike asked with a sudden build up of rage. He grabbed Micaiah by her shoulders and gave her a single shake and brought his face very close to hers so that she could see him clearly. "I wouldn't even be able to save you from your fate! You would be shackled to a post without any protection from the elements! You wouldn't be fed properly and they probably would beat you until you gave them the information they wanted! Once they are finished gathering information they would torture you just for the hell of it and humiliate you in every way possible! Beatings, whippings, you'd be hung nearly to death, they'd burn your skin and probably rape you too! Those are just some of the few things that would happen to you! All of that would happen before they even considered killing you, which probably won't be a quick merciful death either! What the hell were you thinking?"

"I-I-I," Micaiah stammered as tears began to pour from her eyes. She tried to hold back but only ended up coughing as her crying quickly got out of hand. "I-I'm so s-sorry I-Ike. I-I just wanted t-to k-know where y-y-you w-went."

Ike eased his grip on Micaiah's shoulders and straightened out so that he was no longer in her face. He inhaled deeply and let out the air with a sigh. She had followed him out. He watched as she attempted to clear the tears from her eyes only to have fresh ones replace the old ones. Each sob tore at his chest with alarming ferocity and it didn't help knowing that she had only wanted to see if he was alright. That knowledge only made him regret his previous outbreak. Micaiah was now another person he had hurt because he was unable to control his anger. That lack of self control was the entire reason he was out at the moment. He had to relive the incident with Mia the previous day and was told by Miedo in his dreams that he was slowly going insane. Ike scratched his head and stared up at the brilliant stars in the clear night sky.

"Micaiah-" he started with as soft a tone as he could muster but he barely managed to get her name out before being cut off."

"Please don't be mad," the silver haired girl pleaded as she threw her arms around his waist and sobbed into his chest. "I don't want you of all people to be angry with me. I'll go back if you want me to and I won't go out again if you don't want me to. Please just don't be mad at me. I just had a bad feeling when I heard you leaving in the middle of the night."

Each and every single one of Micaiah's words slammed into his chest like a war hammer to the point where it hurt just to breathe. He had a decent reason to mad at her for leaving the tent without being under guard, but that reason was nowhere near good enough to justify his actions. Ike silently cursed himself for being unable to control his anger. There was no need to grab her like that or shake her. He had probably left bruises on her shoulders from gripping them too hard. The gut wrenching feeling of guilt and remorse began to eat Ike up. He wrapped one arm around her back and used his other hand to stroke her hair gently. Micaiah glanced up to see the pain in Ike's azure eyes for a fragment of a second before he averted his gaze. He leaned down closer to her face.

"You didn't deserve to be treated like that or for me to be angry with you," Ike whispered in Micaiah's ear. "I'm the one who should be sorry, not you. I'm a real bastard who really isn't deserving of the friends that I have. All I've ever done is hurt people. I'm getting worse too. Pretty soon I won't even be able to control myself. I'm losing my sanity and it's really making me angry that I'm so weak to be unable to control myself. I know that's a poor excuse for my behavior, but please just accept my apology."

"Ike, what are you talking about?" Micaiah asked partially confused but her mind was quickly piecing together the bits of his past that she knew.

"It's, um… never mind what I said," Ike said slightly hurt that she hadn't accepted the fact that he was sorry. "Listen, can you leave me alone. I just need to clear my mind and then I'll come back. I promise. Don't worry about me, I'll be just fine. Go back to Mist's tent and sleep."

With that said Ike pulled away, turned on his heel and walked off in the opposite direction of where Micaiah would be headed. The heat she had enjoyed while they were close together left her almost immediately. The cold wind quickly reminded the silver haired girl of her poor attire for the winter. She shivered and watched as Ike continued to walk through the camp. Micaiah refused to move from her spot until he disappeared from her sight. When he was gone she still did not budge even though she was freezing in the cold night air. She glanced back the way she had come from and then back to where Ike had gone. Micaiah stood for several moments contemplating what to do before she made up her mind and took off running away from Mist's tent.

"_You truly are trash," _Miedo's voice echoed from within the depths of Ike's head_._

"You shut up!" Ike hissed under his breath. There wasn't really any need for it since the conversation was occurring within his mind, but it was a natural reaction for the mercenary. "I don't want to talk to you!"

"_You hurt her bad," _Miedo's sinister voice cackled but it was his words that got Ike's attention the most_. "You do that a lot don't you? Hurt people that is. I bet your father is turning over in his grave knowing that his only son has turned out to be such a despicable person. Wait a minute. Your father was the same way. He was surrounded by misery, anger and hatred just like you. I bet you'll even die a miserable and lonely death just like he did except you won't leave behind any children to morn your passing. No, you will truly die alone. It's what you deserve after all the families you've torn apart, all the pain you caused people and the pain you've caused your so called 'friends' and 'family' is beyond redemption. Your sins are unforgivable!"_

"Don't you think I already know that?" Ike asked under his breath as he marched beyond the boundaries of the camp and continued on without paying attention to where he was going. "I hate myself for it. I can't stand who I am or what I do. I'm fighting against my friends in the Daein army without holding back which is causing my other friends to pull away in fear of me. Even within the Greil Mercenaries my circle of friends has truly been reduced. Now the only ones who ever want anything to do with me are Soren and Boyd, but even they have been avoiding me lately. Ranulf's playful nature allows him to make friends with anyone and Mist is my sister so they don't really count. Micaiah is the only other person who actually cares about me."

"_But do you even deserve her love?" _Miedo asked and Ike could see his chaotic self smirking already aware of the obvious answer. The blue haired mercenary shook his head_. "Exactly! She is simply too blinded by her sudden attraction for you that she doesn't see what a monster you are. However, she will find out sooner or later and when she does you will find that same pain you felt when Elincia abandoned you. Micaiah will leave you, Boyd will take Mist away when they get married and Ranulf will be too busy with his life to spend time with you anymore. With those four people gone you will be totally alone. You will be the hero without the happy ending. Too bad for you."_

The truth of all that had been said chilled Ike to the bone. The thought of being utterly alone made him shudder. The thought of everyone in the mercenary company leaving him was a terrifying. A sad smile played over Ike's face as he contemplated his inevitable fate. His chest ached the more he thought about it. His foot caught on something and the mercenary stumbled but did not fall. Ike glanced up to find that he had walked all the way to one of the walls of the cliffs that surrounded their camp. He placed a single hand against its rough surface before he began to climb.

* * *

Micaiah ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She passed row after row of tents until she passed out of the camp entirely. She was panting heavily and her lungs were on fire from having to breathe in the night air, but she pressed on. Micaiah had no idea where Ike had actually gone to. However, she did have a feeling that she was close behind him. She tripped over something hidden in the darkness and was sent tumbling to the hard earth. The rocks on the ground tore open her clothes and even some parts of her skin, but she picked herself back up. That's when her golden eyes caught site of something moving along the cliff ahead. A large silhouette of a man was clambering up a practically vertical wall of stone. Micaiah had no doubt in her mind that it was Ike.

The silver haired girl reached the base of the cliff just as the man she was in pursuit of disappeared over the top. Micaiah timidly felt around for some type of hand hold to get going, but was struggling to find anything. She nearly cried out for him when she stopped herself. She was too near the camp to do that. It would get Ike's attention along with the soldiers on patrol in the camp. To reach Ike she had to climb up after him.

* * *

"_So what exactly do you plan on doing now?" _Miedo asked with genuine curiosity_. "I mean you failed to be the good and decent person you always wanted to be. Why not become the vile wolf that nobody wants. I mean no one wants you anyways so why not have fun while being hated? Wolves are in truth rather friendly, but the lone wolves are the vicious one. You can be a lone wolf."_

"I guess," Ike mumbled as he walked towards the edge of the cliff and sat down. "That's not what I want though. I want my old life back. The one I had before I started to go insane. It wasn't so bad when I was helping Elincia or just living as a simple mercenary. I enjoyed life back then. I had fun and laughed, but now everything just seems dull. Ranulf brought some joy back and Micaiah introduced a bit of passion that I have no felt towards a person in a while. However, those are poor compensations for what I used to feel."

Ike's mind was silent and he was both glad and disappointed by it. He was glad that his chaotic side had left him alone, but at the same time he missed having something there to talk with even if it was just his own thoughts. He thought back to his encounter with Micaiah that night. The feelings of self loathing returned alongside the pain in his chest. Ike clenched his hands into fists and slammed one down on the hard stone. His hand throbbed in agony as he continued to punch the stone. However, it was enough to take his mind off of the emotional pain he was feeling. The relief was temporary because as soon as he stopped he was left with a bleeding hand and the anguish he had felt before.

Ike fell backwards and lay motionless. He examined the stars that lit up the night sky. They never seemed to change, always shining brightly above the world. Ike reached towards the heavens with his bloodied hand. Smirking as he imagined himself being able to actually touch the stars. He clenched his fist and pretended that he crushed the tiny orbs of light. However, when he let his hand fall back to his side the stars were still where they were moments before. Ike stood up as the warmth from his body was being drained away by the stone he was lying on. He walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down. A grim smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he saw the vast darkness below. He had no idea how high up he was, but the unknown depth intrigued him.

"Ike!" a familiar voice cried out his name and startled him. The mercenary scanned the cliff and immediately spotted Micaiah's silver head poking up over the edge.

He rushed over and pulled her up onto the shelf of rock he was on. He immediately noticed how cold her body was and that she was bleeding in several spots. Her hands and knees were by far the worst, but her shins and arms were also covered by a few scrapes. Micaiah threw her arms around Ike and he heard her let out a sob. She held onto him with an unusual intensity. It was as if she was drowning and he was a rock in the river that held her above the water's surface. He wasn't entirely sure why Micaiah was so upset, but whatever it was he knew it had something to do with him. Once again he was causing someone both physical pain and emotional pain. Ike took a second look at Micaiah's appearance and cringed at the sight of some of her cuts. Her body felt like ice to the touch and the sound of her cries was all unbearable for him. She was hurting because of him.

"I-Ike, w-were y-you about to j-jump?" Micaiah asked between sobs. "I-I don't w-want you to! Whatever your f-feeling p-please let me h-help you!"

Ike gave Micaiah a slight squeeze to get her attention. Her golden eyes opened and turned upwards to face him. His body completely froze. He couldn't speak, his mind was blank and he wasn't able to move. Her face was tear streaked and dirty, but still very beautiful. He was glad to see that she was no longer crying. The feeling of pain filled him again as he recalled the words Miedo had left him with. He knew that Micaiah would desert him when she found out what a monster he was. Subconsciously he pulled her closer as if she had already begun to slip away. Ike's eyes betrayed the emotionless barrier he had been putting up since the end of the Mad King's War. Micaiah could see all of the pain, anger and self loathing within azure depths.

"You said earlier that you are a bastard and that you don't deserve the people around you," Micaiah started and tears started to build up in her eyes again but she brushed them away. "You told me to forget about that and to leave you alone. I can't do that Ike and you are very wrong to even suggest that you are a bad person. I don't know you all too well, but so far you are one of the best people I've ever met in my life. You are so kind and loving. I don't know how you could ever consider yourself in such low regards."

"Micaiah, I'm sorry for making you worry but I didn't come up here to kill myself," Ike explained.

"That's not the point!" she yelled back in his face. He hadn't expected that sort of response. "Mist has told me what a selfless person you are. How you would throw yourself in harm's way to protect other people. She told me how poorly your father treated you after he killed your mother. She told me you couldn't cry, laugh or express any true emotions for as long as she could remember. You were trained to be responsible for everything and be emotionless. The truth is that you aren't emotionless. You are very kind but you seem to hate yourself for some reason. You think everything bad that happens when you are around or in charge is your fault. Bad things happen in life Ike and not all of them are your fault. Don't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders or it will crush you. You don't have to be everyone's hero. I just-"

Micaiah paused and pulled back a bit. Ike gave her a confused look, but got an explanation almost immediately. A series of sneezes shook Micaiah's small frame and caused her to shiver. The mercenary immediately removed the long trench coat that he had been issued along with all other soldiers in the army and draped it around Micaiah's shoulders. He pulled her closer to his body to help warm her up. The wind bit at Ike's exposed flesh, but he ignored the pain of the cold so that Micaiah could be more comfortable. It was the least he could do for her after all he had put her through in one night plus he was enjoying having her pressed up against his. The mercenary moved to a wall of stone that led to a cliff higher up and sat down with his back against it. Micaiah twisted around so that her back was against Ike's chest.

"Your arms are getting cold, aren't they?" the silver haired girl asked as she shifted to a more comfortable position.

Ike didn't respond so Micaiah took action. She pushed the coat off of her upper body and reached out with both hands to grab one of his large arms. However, there was something that caught the mercenary's attention not about the girl's actions but by the glove on one hand. Ike had recalled her wearing two gloves except while indoors. She always had one on her right hand though. No matter what every time he had seen her she had always had her right hand covered. Ike grabbed Micaiah's right arm suddenly causing her to practically jump from fright.

"What are you hiding under here?" he asked while examining the fabric in the pale moonlight. Micaiah struggled to get her hand free from the mercenary's grasp. "Is it truly something that you should even be ashamed of? Did you get burned and it left a nasty scar? What's wrong with this hand?"

Ike did not notice how Micaiah's golden eyes widened with fear as he peeled off her glove. Beneath the fabric was an intricate pattern of black markings. He released his grip when he felt something connect solidly with the side of his face. He watched, unable to move, as she stood up with tears already pouring down her face.

"Why did you have to go and ruin everything?" Micaiah practically screamed as she ran off along the edge of the cliff.

"_Very nice job,_" a familiar voice chimed in. "_You have managed to make her cry three times in a single night. I think that it is safe to assume that she will hate you now. It would seem that you truly are only capable of causing other people pain. Brilliant work, absolutely brilliant!_" Ike merely sat still his whole mind had shut down entirely. "_You don't get it yet do you? She is branded. You know, like your little friend Soren._"

Those words allowed Ike to finally understand what was happening. Micaiah was terrified that he would detest her for being born of both laguz and beorc parents. He grabbed his coat off of the ground and gave chase. He followed the sound of her cries hoping that she wouldn't make a careless mistake. One misplaced foot could send her tumbling to her death. Ike could hear Micaiah's sobbing coming from above him and he quickly came across a small trail leading higher up. Meanwhile, dawn was fast approaching. With morning it would be found that both the general and the prisoner of war have gone missing. However, neither Ike nor Micaiah had that thought in mind.

* * *

**Oh my, this was rather interesting. Why must you be so impulsive Ike? Anyways, I have already begun work on the next chapter and plan to have it up within a day or two. Maybe I'll even manage to get it done today if a work diligantly. Either way I would appreciate reviews. Anything is acceptable.**


	19. Ike vs the Dawn Brigade

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

**

**Well, I didn't get the update done on time like I had hoped for. This was due to the fact that my internet connection did not want to work and I also went on a road trip to California. Hardly an excuse for my tardiness, but it's all that I have to offer. Anyways, things are getting rather interesting now. I'm so excited! I hope that you all enjoy this latest chapter!**

* * *

"Micaiah, wait!" Ike called from below as he struggled to catch up.

The silver haired girl ignored his request and continued on the small ledge leading further up. She turned back to see him hugging the face of the wall of stone for balance. Ike's body was almost too large for him to give chase along the cliff, but he managed to avoid falling while closing the distance between him and Micaiah. She, on the other hand, was having next to no difficulty walking on the ledge. She needed to face the wall of stone and keep one hand on it for additional balance, but other then that she was able to move freely. Micaiah glanced upwards to see how much further she had to travel before she would reach another resting point. A place where the ledge widened out enough to sit down would be fine enough for her. Much to her dismay she could not see where the end would be. The face of the cliff jutted outwards not much further ahead and to make matters worse the path she had been walking on grew even narrower. Micaiah hugged the wall of rough stone, searching for any place to get a grip with her hands. Whenever she managed to find one she held on as tightly as she possibly could despite the pain that shot through her. The cuts she had received while chasing after Ike had started to bleed once more.

Micaiah took the liberty to steal a glance below her, but her head immediately snapped back up when she saw how far away the ground was. She attempted to look up to see where the top of the cliff was located. The overhanging stone blocked her view though so she merely pressed onwards as quickly as she could. Micaiah struggled for what seemed like an eternity, in reality it was hardly over ten minutes, before her golden eyes peered over the top of the cliff. She could see a rather large shelf of stone which was practically flat. There was another wall of rock climbing higher up, but it was at a gradual slope and would not be difficult to climb. Micaiah hoisted herself over the edge of the cliff and lay motionless on the level ground. She was panting heavily, sweat dripped down her face and her muscles ached from the long period of stress they had just been under. The sound of Ike's cursing nearly caused her to jump. She crawled over towards the edge and peered over. She had to brush back her silver hair as it hung in her face. Below her was Ike struggling to get past the rock that jutted out. He had been struggling just to move along the ledge without any obstacles. Now that he had something blocking his path he was having a very difficult time to get around it. A sudden feeling of pain tore through Micaiah's chest as she watched the mercenary desperately searching for a way to continue on. She also felt slightly relieved that he was unable to follow her, but the pain far outweighed her relief.

Micaiah rose to her feet and walked away from the edge of the cliff. She ascended the gradual slope and placed more distance between her and Ike. She didn't care where she was going, all she wanted to do was get away. He knew her about her secret now and he most definitely would not approve of her being branded. That thought sent a wave of pain throughout her entire body. Micaiah blinked back a few stray tears before they had a chance to fall. She watched her feet as she pressed onwards. She did not pay any attention to what was in front of her.

"Micaiah's back!" an exuberant voice shouted causing her to look up. She could no believe her eyes as she saw the young swordsman of the Dawn Brigade sprinting towards her.

"Edward, keep your voice down," Nolan scolded as he began to descend the slope. "Well now, Micaiah, this is a rather unusual surprise. I'm glad to see that you are alright minus all of those cuts you somehow managed to get. Come on, let's have Laura take a look at those."

"What is it you want me to-" the brunette froze when she saw Micaiah. "H-how did you get here? Never mind that, let me take a look at those cuts. They don't look too bad, but looks can be deceiving."

One by one the remaining members of the Dawn Brigade greeted Micaiah while Laura cleaned and healed her wounds. However, one person in particular decided to hang back while the others talked. Finally, Sothe the green haired rogue stepped forward. He was unlike the others. He was calm and acted as if he had expected Micaiah to appear. A grin suddenly spread across his face and he reached out to embrace the silver haired girl. She jumped back away from Sothe before he could embrace her. Micaiah felt a bit guilty though as an expression of pain flashed across his face. Laura looked up from where she was knelt down healing the cuts on Micaiah's legs. The silver haired girl pointed down to the healer as a feeble excuse for her actions.

"Welcome back," Sothe said as his grin returned except that it was considerably weaker then it was the first time.

"There we go, all done," Laura exclaimed as she stood up having finished healing all of Micaiah's wounds. "None of your cuts were serious or infected so everything went well. It's good to have you back with us again."

"How did you end up getting away?" Edward asked and the other members of the Dawn Brigade crowded around waiting to hear her tell of her escape. "Did you break your bonds with magic, steal the guard's dagger, slit his throat and then run away in the dark of night before anyone could find the body?" Micaiah stared at the young swordsman utterly perplexed that he could think that she was capable of making such an escape. "Perhaps you had to fight your way through wave after wave of enemies and after you had managed to punch a hole through the center of them you made a break for it."

"N-none of that happened," Micaiah stammered unsure of how else to respond to Edward's wild imagination. "I wasn't even really trying to escape actually. I followed Ike out during the night, a few things happened and I somehow ended up here with you guys. It was never my intention to even run away. Actually, I should probably go back there. I'll cause a lot of trouble by returning to the Daein army and I left Ike on a rather bad note. He wanted to talk about something but I was afraid of what he would say so I ended up running away."

Sothe's eyes narrowed dangerously, as he glared past Micaiah. For a moment she thought that he was glaring at her. However, one by one the rest of the brigade members took notice of the direction the rogue was looking. Laura tapped on Micaiah's shoulder to get her attention and then pointed down to the edge of the cliff. Her golden eyes widened as she watched Ike pulling himself up onto the stone shelf. Before anyone could stop him, Sothe was running towards the defenseless mercenary with a dagger drawn. Micaiah shouted a warning and Ike's head snapped up to see the oncoming enemy. The blue haired man quickly hoisted himself onto solid ground, but Sothe was upon him before he could manage to get to his feet. Ike kicked into the rogue's stomach with enough force to send him sailing through the air for a short distance. Both fighters scrambled to stand up. They faced each other but neither one dared to attack. Ike threw off his coat and reached for Ragnell's hilt.

"You have a grudge against me or something?" the blue haired mercenary growled as he stared daggers at his opponent. "I know how you fight. You look for an opening and take full advantage of it. That is how you kill off your enemies. However, I have never before seen you attack a person who is practically defenseless as I was just now. You are sore at me about something now tell me what it is!"

Sothe lunged forward with intentions to kill. Ike caught the rogue's arm before his dagger managed to find its target. The green haired fighter struggled to free his limb from the mercenary's grasp, but was far too weak to get away. His left hand shot towards his belt to draw a knife. Ike used his free hand to stop Sothe before he had the opportunity to even get the blade from its sheath. Several members of the Dawn Brigade gripped their weapons, but Nolan and Micaiah managed to prevent anyone from joining the fight. The silver haired girl gave the ax wielder a surprised look when she saw that he was helping. She was grateful for his assistance though so she kept her mouth shut. However, it was becoming more difficult to keep all of the ready warriors in check as the brawl progressed. No blood had been spilt yet, but Sothe was striving for a kill while Ike was being purely defensive. He had not even taken Ragnell out of its sheath which was infuriating the green haired rogue. He lashed out at his opponent with a newfound ferocity. Everyone froze when Ike managed to grab onto Sothe's shirt and hold over the edge of the cliff.

"Tell me what kind of problem you have with me or I'll drop you!" the blue haired mercenary growled. "You can tell me why Daein is involved in this war while you're at it! You no longer seem to think of us as friends so I can threaten you all I want now!"

"Go to-" Sothe was not able to finish his sentence as Ike gave him a few shakes and a threatening glare. "Give Micaiah back! She is all that I want! I won't tell you why Daein is involved in the war because frankly I just don't care! I've only stayed because Micaiah decided to stay! Then you come along and started to ruin everything! You took her away from me! You are no friend of mine!"

Ike let out an agitated sigh. He paused for a moment to think over what Sothe had just shouted at him. Reluctantly he pulled the rogue back onto solid ground and mumbled an apology. The Dawn Brigade members released the breath that they had all been holding in. The blue haired mercenary began to walk towards Micaiah. He didn't even get to start to ascend the slope before he heard approaching footsteps from behind. Ike spun around and struck Sothe in the face with the back side of his hand before the rogue could stab him in the back. The blow was delivered with enough force to send the green haired youth spinning around. Seeing an opportunity Ike went on the offensive. He grabbed the back of Sothe's shoulders and pulled him to the ground. He followed up by stomping down on his opponent's gut with remarkable power. The rogue cried out in agony as his intestines were being crushed by Ike's boot. However, the mercenary was not yet through. He straddled his opponent and delivered a fierce open palmed strike directly to Sothe's face. The rogue immediately shielded his head with both arms leaving his sides open for attack. Ike took advantage of this and started beating at his opponent's exposed ribs. He brought his right hand back for one last strike and delivered it with full force. The palm of Ike's hand made solid contact with the center of Sothe's rib cage. There was a sickening crack as the rogue's bones gave way under the intense strength behind the impact.

Ike got off of Sothe and stood up. He stared down at the youth rolling around on the ground in agonizing pain. He glanced back up at the other members of the Dawn Brigade to find that all of them were staring with utter disbelief. What they were shocked about was unclear to Ike, but that was not necessarily an important detail to him. All that mattered now was that they had another reason to fight him. They had held back during his brawl. Now he could tell that several of them were itching for bloodshed. Ike reached down and grabbed the back of Sothe's collar. He then started to drag the injured youth towards his friends. Edward drew his blade from its sheath and Leonardo notched an arrow onto his bow string. Neither one of them attacked even though they desperately wanted to take down Daein's number one arch enemy. Ike fell to the ground as a sharp pain shot through his leg. He looked back to see a wound gushing blood and Sothe scrambling to his feet. He felt the rogue's hand pulling on his hair forcing his head backwards, exposing his neck. His azure eyes widened with realization of what was about to happen. Ike covered his throat with one hand right as Sothe pulled the edge of his knife across it.

Micaiah let out a horrified scream as blood spurted forth from the wound. The green haired youth stood up triumphantly fully believing that he had successfully killed off his opponent. He sheathed his knife. However, Ike rose up much to the surprise of all. He took one quick glance at the blood spilling freely from his hand and frowned. He wiped it on his pant leg leaving a dark crimson streak. His azure eyes became filled with fire and his facial expression hardened. He was staring daggers at Sothe. Micaiah could see the fear in the rogue's hazel eyes. She could tell that he knew what he had just done. He had just kicked a hornet's nest. Ike had been generous and had given him several chances. Now he was about to get serious and the rogue was fully aware of that fact. Sothe took one uneasy glance over his shoulder. He didn't need to see the mercenary's facial expression. He could sense the flames of Ike's anger burning his back. Everyone could feel the sheer rage radiating off of his body.

"Ike," Micaiah spoke up timidly. He didn't respond but his eyes shifted to gaze at her and she squirmed under their intensity. "There's no need for bloodshed here. The Dawn Brigade is merely a scouting party to monitor our progress. The Daein army is not even in the vicinity, so you can calm down. Ike, I don't want you to kill my friends. Please, everyone put down your weapons and let's talk peacefully."

"That was my intention from the very beginning but it would seem that Sothe wanted it otherwise," Ike growled. "Actually, I never intended to meet up with the famous liberators of Daein. I honestly was just trying to talk to Micaiah after she ran off on me."

Micaiah blushed as she realized how utterly irrational she had been. Ike had simply wanted to talk with her, but she was too afraid of rejection that she ran off. If he had truly been disgusted by her heritage he would not have even bothered chasing after her. She took one slow step towards Ike and paused for a few seconds before proceeding. The Dawn Brigade watched in disbelief as Micaiah walked away from them. However, when she reached Sothe he did not let her simply pass. He grabbed onto her arm and did not let go. The look in his eyes bordered on feral. Micaiah could tell he was desperate, but was unsure why. She tried to pull her arm away. Sothe only tightened his grip. Ike pried the rogue off of Micaiah. Leonardo pulled his bow string back and took aim. He did not fire yet, but he was very close to simply letting lose.

Sothe drew one of his daggers and the blade tore through flesh. Ike pushed the rogue back and doubled over clutching his side. One hand reached for Ragnell's hilt. That is when Leonardo loosed his arrow. His aim was slightly off causing him to miss his target. He had been aiming for Ike's head, but the arrow ended up being lodged in the top of his left shoulder. Micaiah screamed as she watched all of the crimson liquid dripping from Ike's open wounds. However, the mercenary himself fought against the pain and drew Ragnell from its sheath. All but three of the members of the Dawn Brigade gave a battle cry and charged towards their wounded and exhausted prey. Nolan, Laura and Volug hung back refusing to participate in the fight that was about to break out. Micaiah watched utterly horrified as Aran, Meg, Edward and Fiona all ran at the already injured mercenary. Sothe was the nearest enemy so Ike attacked him first. His first strike tore the rogue apart leaving a gash going from his shoulder diagonally down and across his chest. The blue haired mercenary plunged Ragnell's golden blade through Sothe's gut as insurance to guarantee that he would be out of the fight.

"Everyone please stop this!" Micaiah screamed as she latched onto Ike's left arm and pulled at him. Her actions threw him off balance and left him exposed. "Edward don't!"

The young swordsman paid no attention to her plea as he hacked at Ike's unprotected side. Edward's blade tore through the exposed flesh with ease. The mercenary grimaced at the intense pain, but managed to collect himself to fend off the next attack. He brought Ragnell up in time to parry another blow from Edward and he side stepped as Aran attempted to skewer him with his lance. Ike grabbed onto the shaft, pulled its wielder towards his body and bludgeoned him in the head with Ragnell's hilt. The impact of the blow dented the soldier's helmet and rendered him unconscious. Micaiah rushed out and placed herself between Ike and Edward to get them to stop fighting. Both fighters backed off not wanting to hurt her. However, the separation presented Leonardo with a wide open target and he wasted no time in loosing another arrow. Ike stumbled backwards gasping for breath. He tentatively touched the feathered shaft protruding from his chest. Edward rushed past Micaiah, eager to reengage in the fight. Meg and Fiona were hot on his heels.

"Laura, please get Edward under control and heal Ike!" Micaiah cried out to the brigade's healer.

"I'm a bit busy at the moment!" the brunette shouted back from where she was knelt over Sothe's bleeding body.

"Volug, can you please help out?" the silver haired girl pleaded hoping that the wolf laguz would lend his assistance. "Stop them from killing each other! Leonardo don't you even dare put another arrow on that bow string! Everyone please knock it off! Nolan, stop them!"

"Sorry Micaiah, even if I tried I don't think I could get them under control," the ax wielder sighed. "I'd just be adding to the confusion and end up getting involved in the blood shed. Staying back is about the best thing I can do at this moment."

Volug nodded in agreement, his scraggly black fur moving with his head. Micaiah bit her lip and returned her attention to the fight. She watched as Leonardo strung another arrow onto his bow. Ike kicked Edward's legs out from under him and turned his attention to the two weaker fighters. He blocked against a slash from Meg's sword with ease. The mercenary then lunged towards Fiona, who was not used to fighting off of her horse, and clutched her head in one hand. Ike swung Ragnell at Meg to get some separation before slamming the violet haired cavalier into the ground. Micaiah cringed at the way Fiona's entire body went limp. She prayed that her friends would not all end up dead because of this fight. Her golden eyes snapped shut as she heard Leonardo's bow release another arrow. She heard it pierce flesh. Ike gasped from the sudden pain and with his free hand felt where the shaft was protruding from his back.

"Why does this have to happen?" Micaiah cried as she fell to her knees. "Why is everyone I care about want to kill each other?"

"Hey, I've got Sothe's bleeding under control," Laura sighed with a weary expression on her face. The energy necessary to heal such severe wounds had been extreme. "His life is no longer in danger. However, he still has lost a lot of blood so he won't be at full strength for several days. By the looks of it Ike will also be in the same situation. Hopefully, he will be the only other one. I don't know if I could handle any more life threatening gashes today."

"Thank the Goddess that Sothe will live," Micaiah replied half-heartedly. "Do you think you can get Edward out of the fight now? If he isn't fighting anymore I'm pretty sure Meg will stop as well. That would just leave Leonardo and he is no fool so he would drop out too."

"I'm sorry, Micaiah, but I just can't do that," Laura apologized and the silver haired girl felt her stomach drop. "I know that you don't want to hear this Micaiah, but it is something that you need to be told. I'm actually surprised that you haven't realized this yourself or perhaps you are simply too blinded by your feelings. Either way, it does not change the fact that Ike is the enemy of Daein and we are all soldiers of Daein. As soldiers we have a duty to eliminate our enemies. I think you get where I'm going with this. I can't stop Edward because it is his job to kill Ike."

Micaiah took a step back away from Laura not wanting to hear her speak another word. The brunette reached out with a comforting hand only to find her friend backing away from her. The two girls stared at each other. One glaring angrily and feeling betrayed while the other was riddled with indecision and pain. Micaiah stomped her foot and did something that no one had expected to see. She turned her back on the very group she had helped found. She walked away from the Dawn Brigade. Nolan sighed and glanced down at the wolf by his side. Volug returned the gaze and both men nodded in silent acknowledgment of the other man's understanding of the situation.

Ragnell's golden blade shone in the light of early dawn as it cut through its target with ease. Meg collapsed bleeding profusely from her shoulder. Her entire arm went limp and her sword fell to the ground with a clatter. Edward rushed forward to protect his companion only to be tossed aside. Ike raised his sword above his head and swung it down with incredible force. Blue energy shot forth from Ragnell, slicing through the air towards a certain blond archer. Leonardo put his bow out in front of his body as a shield. However, it was far from a decent barrier. The blast of energy shattered the wood and ripped apart the archer's flesh. Leonardo fell to the ground in a bloody heap. Laura jumped up from where she was tending to Meg's wound and dashed over to treat the considerably more severe one on the blond youth. Crimson liquid was already pooling out around him by the time the healer reached him. His life was fading fast.

Ike squared off against Edward. The boy grinned, ecstatic that he was finally able to get a one on one match with Daein's greatest enemy. He gripped the hilt of his sword a bit tighter before preparing to strike. The blue haired mercenary on the other hand was struggling just to keep breathing. His clothes were soaked by his own blood. Ike rubbed his eyes and shook his head in an attempt to refocus his vision. It helped a little, but he knew that he was in a very dangerous situation. He would have to finish the fight up as quickly as possible and seek immediate medical aid or else he would die for sure. He had lost far too much blood and was exerting himself too much. Had Ike been a weaker person he would have already been dead. He staggered slightly before regaining his balance.

"Come on, let's finish this," the mercenary wheezed as he motioned for his opponent to make the first move."

Edward charged forward, aiming to take both fame and glory for himself by defeating a seemingly indestructible enemy. The young swordsman grinned at the thought as he brought his arm back to strike. He swung with all his might only to find his hand had been swallowed up by one of considerably larger stature. Edward glanced up to see Ike towering over him with Ragnell poised to kill. The mercenary sighed before letting his opponent go and turning his back on him. Edward's nostrils flared at being disrespected and he brought his arm back to strike down the mercenary only to find someone holding him back. Nolan held onto the young swordsman's limb preventing him from attacking. The fight had come to a close. The victor was obvious even though neither side had lost a single person. Micaiah let out a sigh of relief as Edward sheathed his sword. However, her joy was short lived as Ike fell to his knees. She rushed over and helped to keep him from collapsing on the ground. She could feel how drenched his clothes were by his own blood that it scared her.

"I don't care that you're branded," Ike mumbled in Micaiah's ear so that she would be able to hear him. "I don't care that you had one laguz parent and a beorc one. That doesn't matter to me. You are who you are, Micaiah. I wouldn't have you any other way so don't think that you are unworthy or anything because that's not true. Besides, I've fallen in love with you. I just thought you…s-should know…that."

Micaiah watched horrified as Ike's eyes fell shut. She blinked back her tears as best as she could. She knew that she did not have much time. The silver haired girl laid the mercenary on his side and she hurriedly removed all the arrows from his body. She made sure that she did not leave any stray splinters of wood. Micaiah took a deep breath. What she was about to do was dangerous. Sacrificing her own energy to heal a person so close to the brink of death could have fatal effects on her. Ike's words resounded in her mind, convincing her that it was absolutely necessary that she act now. Micaiah placed her hand on Ike's chest and focused on healing his wounds. She felt the energy drain out of her body as she watched his flesh close up. The silver haired girl could only maintain conciseness for a few seconds before her world was surrounded in black and she collapsed.

"Should we take Micaiah with us?" Edward asked as he glanced back at the silver haired girl passed out on top of Ike.

"Leave her," Nolan sighed as he hoisted Fiona over one shoulder. Nearby Volug shifted from his wolf form to pick up Aran. "Didn't you see that she that she would rather be with Ike then us? Besides, Sothe is too possessive of her right now. It would be best for him if we took Micaiah away. That way we can break his obsession and help him get back to a normal life. Now, pick up Leonardo and let's get out of here."

Edward followed his order and did just as Nolan said. The Dawn Brigade made its retreat. Volug carried both Aran and Sothe over each shoulder as he took the lead. Nolan went second, followed closely by Edward and finally Meg with Laura trying to heal her bleeding shoulder on the move.

**

* * *

**

**Go Nolan! He has always been one of my favorite characters. One big reason is he has an awesome beard. Anyways, things have heated up and Sothe actually fought Ike because he is psychotic and possessive. That will cause some problems down the road. That's all I have for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading it. I will be updating as soon as I possibly can. Leave a review, comment or any other feed back. **


	20. Caught by the Aristocracy

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

**

**Wow, this is actually the twentieth chapter. I feel like this is a real accomplishment. I mean not a lot of stories go on for this long. I mean most of the stuff I see in the FE fandom is either one shots or a ton of incomplete yet short multiple chapter stories where the writer runs out of material and abandons the project. It is rather sad that laziness is prominent everywhere. Well, this is very off topic from my story. Ike managed to survive his encounter with the Dawn Brigade. Nolan took the high road and made the wise decision of leaving Micaiah behind. It has to be the facial hair. All older and wiser characters need an epic beard. I personally have been trying to grow mine out, but it just makes me look like a serial killer in my opinion. Some people say it makes me look less fierce when I have long hair and a beard. Again I have strayed far from the road. You know what, forget it, I'm going to stop here. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ike shot up into an upright sitting position, gasping for air. His head swiveled in every which way causing his blue hair to flop about wildly. He could not spot an enemy anywhere. The mercenary let out a sigh of relief. His life had been graciously spared by one of the members of the Dawn Brigade. Ike's breathing slowed and began to return to its normal state when he came to the sudden realization that he was in fact not dead. Last he remembered he was bleeding out of numerous wounds to a life threatening extent. He immediately became aware of a certain, unconscious silver haired girl. He stroked her cheek and found it to be alarmingly cold. Ike laid her head down gently on the rock and dashed back to the edge of the cliff where he had abandoned his trench coat. Upon grabbing it, he found that it had been shredded from his climb up. He cursed his poor luck, but figured that it would be better then nothing at all. Upon returning Ike wrapped Micaiah tightly and hugged her close to his body. With the situation under control the mercenary let his mind wander back to how he had come out of the fight alive. Not just how he survived but also why the Dawn Brigade had left behind Micaiah. That too brought up another question: how did Micaiah come to be unconscious as she was now?

Ike racked his brain for any bit of information on the ex-Daein general. Almost immediately he remembered the briefing with Soren before their first encounter at the river. Micaiah was rumored to have strange and miraculous powers, one of which was healing with the touch of her hand. Apparently there was one rather harsh side affect. Whatever wound she tended to with this power of hers it would take a considerable toll on her own body. Ike grit his teeth in frustration at having let this happen to Micaiah and it being totally his fault. His goal had been to protect a single person. He had failed to do that job completely. Instead he had become a liability for her in the end. The mercenary hugged the silver haired girl tighter to his body. Giving what warmth he had within his body was all that he could do to help her. It was working, but Ike didn't feel like he was doing much. He felt completely useless.

The two stayed up on the top of the cliff for what seemed like an eternity. However, Ike was immediately brought to his senses by the rush of air under heavy wing beats. It didn't sound like there was just one either. The mercenary could definitely make out a second pair of wing beats alongside the first. Instinctively he reached for Ragnell only to find that it was not in its sheath as it normally was. He frantically scanned the area for his sword, spotting it only a few feet away. Ike grabbed for the hilt, clutching his fingers around it. The mercenary stood up wielding the golden Ragnell in one hand while cradling Micaiah's unconscious body close to his with the other. Despite the potentially life threatening situation he was about to face, he couldn't help but marvel at how light and slender the silver haired girl actually was. She was probably lighter then his sister. Ike smirked at the memory of when he last compared the weight of a light girl to Mist's weight. The brunette had practically thrown a fit. That thought quickly faded as the two flying units drew even closer. Ike took a stance and prepared himself for whoever he was about to face.

"Good morning Commander," a familiar masculine voice greeted. Shortly after a dark blue wyvern carrying a large man with an eye patch appeared above the edge of the cliff. "I never thought you were the type to sneak out at night for a bit of private 'fun' with a girl. By the looks of it you worked her pretty hard to. That a boy Ike, I guess you're just a natural."

"Haar, that is horrible and you know it's not true!" yelled another voice, feminine this time. A very recognizable green wyvern flew up alongside the other. "We are here on a recovery mission because Ranulf found out that Ike had gone missing and asked Ulki to locate him. Of course Ulki found them, but he said he heard fighting as well. That was why Ranulf sent us. You know Ike was NOT having sex!"

"I'm just not ruling out the possibility," Haar defended himself as he put his hands up in front of his body as a weak barrier against Jill's yelling. "I mean Ulki heard fighting close to an hour ago. I see blood but no bodies meaning that whoever Ike was fighting is long gone now. I'd say he had maybe a half hour to-"

"Don't you dare say that!" Jill screamed turning slightly red in the face. "Neither Ike nor Micaiah are the type of people to partake in such activities so early in the relationship. Look at Ike's clothes. They are torn and stained with blood. He was wounded and Micaiah probably used her powers to heal him, which is why she is unconscious now," Haar just sat on his mount grinning at how defensive Jill was over her friend, Micaiah. "W-what are you smiling about? Forget it! Let's just get these two back before the Apostle finds out they were even missing in the first place."

Ike was doing all he could to hold back from laughing. The interactions between the two had changed very little since the Mad King's War, but there was an unmistakable difference. The mercenary shrugged it off as he returned Ragnell to its sheath on his back. He held Micaiah in both his arms, her head resting in the crook of one while her legs extended over the other. The two wyvern riders landed on the wide open cliff top where the fighting had taken place earlier that morning. Ike carried the silver haired girl over to Jill and her wyvern. He handed her up and made his way over to Haar. The mercenary climbed up with ease, situating himself behind the one eyed man. Both men turned to see if the red haired rider had managed to secure her passenger. Jill nodded signaling that she was ready.

Both riders pulled on their reigns and kicked the flanks of their mounts to get them moving. The wyverns kicked off of the ground with immense force as they plummeted over the edge of the cliff. Ike squinted his eyes as the rush of air whipped him in the face. He glanced around to see that neither Haar nor Jill was bothered at all by the wind. The wyverns spread their wings as the fell and gradually pulled up into a glide. They descended slowly as the approached the camp. The large, scaly mounts beat their leathery wings occasionally to maintain speed, but other then that they didn't have to work at all.

"Looks like we've been found out," Haar sighed just loud enough for Ike to make out his words over the rush of the wind. "Holy Guards are coming to greet us. By the looks of things Tanith is with them. This should be rather interesting."

Both riders pulled back on their reigns and awaited the approaching knights of the Holy Guard. Ike found himself struggling to keep his balance as he nearly fell off of the back of Haar's wyvern when they started to slow down. The blue haired mercenary turned to see that Micaiah was still unconscious. He felt worried for her well being, but he was unable to do anything about it at the moment. He returned his attention to the approaching knights. Ike could see that they were indeed being led by General Tanith which meant that there would be trouble. The Holy Guard members surrounded the two wyvern riders while their brunette leader inspected the situation. Her blade was not drawn but her expression was far from pleased.

"How's it going, Tanith?" Haar greeted the fiery general casually expecting her to explode with rage at his lack of respect. "Wonderful morning to go out flying isn't it?"

Haar grinned as he saw the general's nostrils flare in frustration. Having been in service in Begnion at the same time as Tanith, he knew just how to push all of her buttons. He thoroughly enjoyed enraging the short tempered woman too. It was a bit of a pastime for him. However, neither Jill nor Ike were aware of the history between the two riders and were in total shock at Haar's behavior. They had no clue as to why he would purposely provoke the person they were trying to avoid conflict with.

"Catching traitors and deserters would be a better term for this morning is what I think," Tanith snapped at the one eyed man. "You two once served in the Daein army so you are constant suspects for spies. Also, why do you have our prisoner of war with you? Surely there is no reason to be taking her so far out of the camp."

"Eh, you mean Micaiah?" Haar asked and glanced back at the silver haired girl as if he hadn't noticed she was there earlier. "Oh yes, Micaiah. She was feeling a bit cramped always having to stay cooped up in a tent, so we took her out to enjoy the sunrise. Ike here didn't like the plan unless he got to go along. Jill and I simply provided the transportation. Nothing wrong with that is there Demon? I'm sorry, I meant Tanith. Just one of those accidental slip of the tongue that happens every once in a while. You understand what I mean."

Tanith was livid at this point. Everyone around could tell she was very near to exploding with rage. It wasn't helping that Haar was chuckling at her facial expression, which would have been amusing to everyone else if she hadn't been angry with them. The brunette knight reached to her hip for the hilt of her blade, which she gripped with such ferocity that her knuckles turned white. Ike, knowing he was soaked in his own blood and his clothes were shredded, kept as well hidden as he possibly could behind Haar. The man cocked his head to one side so he could give a taunting glance to Tanith out of his good left eye.

"How do I know that you speak the truth?" the enraged Begnion general spat.

"Do you honestly believe the lot of us to be traitors?" Jill asked holding one hand to her chest while using the other to sweep at the other two men.

"You have never been one to remain on a single side!" Tanith shouted at the red haired girl. "Of course I will not believe the word of a betraying whore like you!"

Jill flinched slightly at the unexpected insult directed at her. Haar's smile evaporated immediately from his face and his mannerism switched from jocular to stern and serious. Ike could see the rider's muscles tense angrily as Tanith continued to assault Jill with a flurry of insults. The mercenary took a glance over to see how Micaiah was doing. He was overjoyed to see her stirring. However, his heart practically stopped as he realized that she would have absolutely no idea what was happening. If Micaiah were to say anything wrong their cover would be blown instantly. Looking at the camp Ike could see that a crowd of people was gathering to see what was going on. The possibility of returning secretly had vanished as more Begnion flying units were sent out to investigate.

"Tanith, who was it that sent you to intercept us?" Ike asked with hopes to end the situation immediately.

"No one, I came out to investigate because I saw suspicious activity occurring in the skies in the vicinity of our camp," the Begnion general replied exactly as Ike had anticipated she would.

"Well, now you know what the suspicious activity was," the blue haired mercenary grinned as he spoke. "We are neither enemy soldiers nor are we traitors. We merely left the camp early to watch the sunrise as Haar mentioned previously. As your superior officer and commanding general of this army I order you to stand down and allow us to pass. If you do not comply I will have you arrested for treason and conspiracy against the army."

Tanith's eyes widened momentarily in shock, but narrowed almost immediately after. They were filled with pure rage. Ike grinned triumphantly as they were allowed to bypass the Holy Guard. Micaiah glanced around in utter confusion. She had no idea what had just occurred. She was glad to be away from the hot tempered woman though. The silver haired girl may not have known what exactly was going on, but she could tell that whatever it was it had made everyone tense. The remainder of their decent to the camp passed in silence. The Holy Guards followed at a distance. When everyone had landed soldiers crowded around trying to find out what exactly was happening. They wanted to know what was going on. Ike stood tall on Haar's wyvern and explained that there had been nothing more then a misunderstanding. He dismissed the troops. Reluctantly they all returned to their previous posts or morning routines.

The blue haired mercenary simply hopped off of the dark blue wyvern and rushed over to help Micaiah dismount. She stumbled trying to get down, falling right into Ike's arms. He smiled down at her and held her far longer then he should have in public. Tanith took immediate notice of their interactions and stormed off, glaring at the couple as she left. Jill and Haar led their wyverns away to rest them. Ike reluctantly let Micaiah stand on her own two feet. He kept one arm wrapped around her shoulders for several moments longer before letting it fall back to his side. Instinctively the silver haired girl leaned closer to be in the mercenary's embrace once more, but she stopped herself remembering that there might be people watching.

"Where have the two of you been all night?" Mist asked exasperated as she walked towards Ike and Micaiah. "I wake up to that obnoxious nocturnal cat poking me, asking where Ike had gone off to. I didn't even know that either of you had left. How was I supposed to know what to tell Ranulf? Listen, if the two of you wanted to be 'alone' all you had to do is ask."

"Wait, that's not what was going on," Ike tried to explain to his little sister who waited for him to continue with her arms crossed while she tapped on foot on the ground repeatedly. "This isn't the place to discuss such matters. For now let's go back to our respective tents and then I'll meet you later. Will that be alright?"

"No need for that," Mist explained. "I figured you would need a change of clothes eventually so I brought some into my tent."

Ike thought it over for a second before agreeing to go. The brunette healer eyed the tattered skirt that she had loaned to Micaiah and sighed. The silver haired girl would need another set of clothes as well, something more weather appropriate if anything could be found. Mist thought over all of the clothes she owned, but nothing came to mind. A thought suddenly struck her causing a grin to creep up along her face.

"Micaiah I'm not sure if I have anything more to lend you," Mist sighed feigning disappointment and Ike eyed his sister warily. "I'm not sure what you'll wear if not my clothes, then who will lend you something? Your old clothes were torn beyond repair much like the ones you're wearing now. We can't just let you be naked all the time no matter how much my big brother would enjoy that," the brunette winked as she watched the couple glance at each other nervously. "However, I think that one of Ike's shirts should do just fine. It will probably be long enough to reach your knees. I just hope it doesn't slide off of your shoulders. Come, come it will all work out perfectly. Let's go!"

Ike looked at Micaiah to find her fidgeting with the ripped trench coat draped around her. When she felt his gaze upon her she turned to see a reassuring grin. The silver haired girl could feel the heat rushing to her face so she turned back away. The large mercenary simply chuckled to himself before grabbing her hand and leading her away. Ike's hand was so much larger then hers. It swallowed it up completely and it was so warm. Micaiah gave a slight tug at the blue haired man's arm for him to slow his pace a bit. He turned slightly to see if there was something wrong. He only felt a small body press against the side of his. The couple didn't care where they were or what anyone thought. They were lost in a world of their own where only the other person existed. Mist turned to see her brother looking happy for the first time in years. However, she was aware of how potentially threatening their situation was if anyone saw the general acting the way he was towards a prisoner of war. The brunette rushed back and took Micaiah's free hand in hers. Mist then took off as fast as she could towards her tent, a now alert Ike chasing after her.

Upon arriving at the desired location the three ducked into the darkness within the canvas walls. Mist and Micaiah were slightly out of breath. Ike, on the other hand, showed no signs of fatigue as he waited for the girls to compose themselves. The brunette walked over to a bag from which she removed spare clothing for her brother. The large man picked out a new shirt and pair of pants while Micaiah hung back not sure if it was alright for her to take whatever she wanted. However, when Ike saw her standing around he waved her over. She immediately started rummaging through the limited selection of apparel.

"I'll just slip outside to make sure no one bothers the two of you while you change," Mist said giving her brother a wink before leaving.

Ike pulled his shirt over his head, discarding it to one side. He sighed upon seeing all of the dried blood smeared across his chest and very likely on his back as well. He turned around when he heard a small gasp. Micaiah had one hand over her mouth. Her golden eyes were full of remorse and glistened with threatening tears. Mist poked her head back in. Upon seeing her brother covered in his own blood she realized he would need to be cleaned up.

"There is a bowl of clean water and a towel on the desk there," the brunette pointed to the location before slipping back outside.

Ike crossed over to where his sister had informed him to go. He picked was about to grab to towel when Micaiah took it from under his hand. She glanced up and their eyes locked momentarily. Micaiah broke away first as she dipped the cloth in the bowl of water, squeezing the excess liquid from it before touching it to Ike's skin. She dabbed at his chest as if he still had open wounds there. Her movements were delicate and methodical. She would rinse the towel off periodically when it needed to be washed. Ike watched her as she cleaned the blood off of his body. Her silver hair had an odd shimmer in the dimmed light of the tent. It didn't shine as brightly as it did in full sunlight, but he found it to be enticing none the less. Micaiah found herself being stopped and having her chin lifted upwards. She knew what was coming. She stood on her toes as Ike's lips brushed against hers. Her golden eyes remained closed expecting more only to find that nothing came. She blinked confused before remembering that Ike was still covered in blood that was now wet and dripping. Micaiah returned to her work with a small smile on her face. She moved onto his back and finished the task considerably faster due to the fact that Ike had received less blows to his back then his chest.

"Thank you," the mercenary whispered into Micaiah's ear as he pulled her into a warm embrace. The silver haired girl couldn't help but look down and notice the large spot of crimson on Ike's pant leg. "We should get changed now so Mist can come back in."

"Not yet," Micaiah pointed to the blood that had seeped through the pant leg. "If you could just roll up your pant leg I could finish washing you off. Then when you are clean again we can get changed."

Ike grinned as another idea came to his mind. He waited for Micaiah to turn back around to soak the towel with water before he hurriedly unfastened his belt. He began to undo the ties on his pants when he felt a hand on his forearm. Staring through his bangs that hung down in his eyes, the mercenary could see a slight grin on Micaiah's face. She pointed at his feet and Ike followed her finger. He saw that in his rush he had completely neglected the fact that he was still wearing his boots. Micaiah let out a slight giggle.

"Let me get those for you," she said as she bent down.

Ike didn't move his entire mind had gone blank. All he was capable of doing was watching the slender girl working on knots in his boot laces. When she had loosened both of them she stood up. Micaiah placed her hand against Ike's chest causing him to inhale sharply. He became relaxed almost immediately afterwards, but for some reason the contact had startled him even though he saw it coming. Micaiah's small hand had a soothing feel to it as she traced her fingers lightly along all of the various scars Ike had managed to obtain over the years. It was a rather impressive tribute dedicated to his reckless style of fighting. The blue haired mercenary could recall how he had received each and every single mark as well. The majority of them had come during the Mad King's War since that was the time where he had fought the most. However, Ike flinched as Micaiah's hand passed over scars from wounds that soldiers under her command had given him.

"Did I accidentally hurt you?" the silver haired girl asked truly concerned. Ike shook his head but Micaiah wanted to know why he had reacted the way he had. "Then what's wrong? I thought this would feel good and help you relax."

"It does feel good," Ike explained as he cupped her chin to peer into her shimmering, golden eyes. "It's just that the scar you just touched, I got it from one of your soldiers. That's all."

Micaiah gazed at the scar that her fingers were still resting on. It extended horizontally from one side of his stomach to the other. The silver haired girl was familiar with how the skin healed and scarred according to the severity of the injury, which is why she knew that the cut had not been deep. Micaiah leaned forward and kissed it. Her hand then traveled its way up to Ike's left shoulder. She remembered from their first encounter that that was where the Black Knight had stabbed him. The skin there was little more then an intricate arrangement of discolored tissue. The reconstruction surgery on the bone had also left its mark. Micaiah stood on her toes so that she could place another kiss there as well.

Ike took a step forward forcing Micaiah to retreat one as well. He continued his slow advance until she backed up against the cot. Without warning, the silver haired girl took hold of Ike's hand and pulled him down with her. Normally her weight would not be nearly enough to budge the large man, but he followed her decent so that he was on top of her. The two remained dead locked in their position for several moments. They were completely content with just gazing at the other for the time being, but soon that was not enough. Micaiah ran her fingers through unruly locks of blue hair. She found the mercenary's hair to be incredibly greasy from the perspiration it had withheld during the fight earlier that morning. However, it was still remarkably soft. Ike went for the base Micaiah's neck while she played with his hair. He planted numerous kisses along with an occasional nip with his teeth, caused the recipient to moan slightly. The silver haired girl began to squirm slightly under the building sensation she was starting to feel. Little did either of them know, or care, that Mist had slipped her head in to check on how they were doing. Upon seeing the scene unfolding before her the brunette quickly pulled back out. She had a slight blush on her checks at having witnessed her brother preparing to become intimate with a girl that he loved. Mist remained outside to keep guard.

Micaiah pushed on the large man's chest to get him to back off a little. He gave her a confused stare only to watch as she pulled his sister's ruined skirt over her head. The silver haired girl quickly removed all other small bits of clothing that she still wore before trying to pull Ike closer to her body once again. However, he didn't comply with her wishes at first. He wanted to take in every bit of her. Micaiah's fair skin was not marred by any type of scar. Ike marveled at how curved her body was without her clothes on. How her waist was narrow but then it widened out again at her hips. He reached forward and cupped each of her breasts in one hand, massaging them gently. Although small, the mercenary thought they fit Micaiah perfectly. The silver haired girl gasped and her breathing started to become heavier. Ike placed his mouth over hers, forcing his tongue inside. He explored every part of her while she was unable to respond to anything he did. Micaiah's senses were overloaded with a sensation like she had never felt before.

The mercenary pulled away to breathe and to move downwards. Ike left a trail of kisses down Micaiah's stomach. One of his hands moved away from her breasts. Instead he used it to massage her thigh. The silver haired girl threw her head back and let out a deep moan unlike any of the others she had previously. Encouraged by the sounds of pleasure, Ike slowed down his actions to draw out the enjoyment he got out of the whole process. He could see that Micaiah had become rather wet from all that he had done. She watched as the mercenary's blue head would go down on her, but only to tease her further. Each time Ike came back up with a huge grin on his face before he would descend to lick along her inner thigh.

"Ike, I'm coming in so cover up!" Mist yelled from outside and the blue haired man knew that something was wrong from the panic in his sister's voice. He grabbed his red cape from the bag of clothes and tossed it to Micaiah before letting his sister in. "Ranulf just told me that the Apostle is searching for you! She is coming here to talk to you about something! Tanith and Sigrun are with her and none of them look all too happy. Ike I think that you might be in real trouble. Hurry up and get dressed before she gets here!"

"Too late," a cold familiar voice spat and everyone in the room turned to see General Tanith standing in the entrance with her hand resting on the hilt of her blade. "Smells like a whore house in here, but that makes sense seeing who the occupants are. Wait here all of you in the exact position you are in now while the Apostle makes her way here. This time Ike you will be put in line."

Mist glanced nervously towards her brother who was brimming with rage at how he had just been addressed. Micaiah was holding his red cape up to her chest to cover her body. Her other hand was holding onto Ike's arm. Mist could see the fear in her normally complacent golden eyes. The brunette took a cautious step backwards only to fall under a paralyzing gaze from Tanith. Ike stared at Ragnell in its sheath no more then five feet away from him. He wanted desperately to just take his blade in hand and hack away every person that made his life so complicated. He wanted to single handedly destroy all nobles throughout the entire continent. However, Ike knew that if he did take up his weapon to attack Sanaki he would pay with his life as well as the lives of every mercenary in his company and Micaiah's too. He couldn't throw their lives away for his own selfish reasons. Tanith grinned as if she were a cat that had just cornered several mice.

"Now entering the Apostle, Empress Sanaki," a voice called from outside of the tent as light poured in from the entrance and a small figure was silhouetted against it.

**

* * *

**

**Sorry for having to cut the chapter off right here but it is just getting too long. I had to do it. Anyways, this was my twentieth chapter. I still can't get over that. It feels like such an accomplishment. Well, this is twenty down and still a lot more to come. Ike and Micaiah sure are in for some rough times now! You guys know what to do. Leave any type of review you want. Everything is welcome. Thank you for reading and I hope to be up with another chapter very soon.**


	21. Rekindled Sense of Duty

Hero and a Priestess

* * *

**And I'm back everybody. Did you miss me? Well, regardless of how you really feel towards me I'm here to present the latest chapter. Sorry I've been gone for so long. Our football team is looking really good this year so I've had to read so many scouting reports and watch hours of game film. Plus school is always piling more work on my plate. Either way I'm back with this chapter. Tanith has been causing quite a few problems for poor Ike and Micaiah. Now she dragged Sanaki into the matter as well. In case some of you have forgotten the little empress did make some what of a confession to Ike, I dedicated an entire chapter to it (chapter ten for anyone who needs a reminder). I wonder, will that come back into play here or did Sanaki move on? Only one way to find out and that's to read. I hope that you all enjoy my twenty-first chapter!**

* * *

Ike grit his teeth and flexed his muscles as the small girl entered. Her ever present body guard, Sigrun, was directly behind. The tent flap fell casting everything into darkness. Sanaki paused momentarily, squinting her eyes, waiting for them to become accustomed to their new environment. However, the four people who were already adjusted to the lack of light did nothing but glare at each other, Ike and Tanith in particular. The mercenary shot another way ward glance at Ragnell's hilt just beyond his reach. He wanted so desperately to take up the holy blade. His body ached for the blood of the obnoxious parasites that continuously stripped him all the joy he found in life. Ike clenched his right hand into a fist causing the joints in his fingers to pop loudly. All people in the tent took immediate attention to the sudden agitated behavior that the large man was exhibiting. Sanaki took an uncertain step backwards. The small empress had been the recipient of verbal lashing when Ike had lost his temper with her during the Mad King's War. However, he had merely lost control back then. Now, this was a different story entirely. Then, he had kept his composure as a man. He had stood up straight, with his shoulders back, his chest proud and his head held high. That was all gone. Ike looked more like a feral beast then a man. He leered out at the three people that he currently wished would disappear from his life for good.

Mist watched her brother's behavior very closely as he quickly lost his composure. She was simply too afraid of him and their situation to do anything to aid him. Micaiah was in a similar predicament. The silver haired girl had no desire of drawing attention to herself while being only covered by Ike's tattered, red cape. Neither girl dared to move. Sigrun and Tanith on the other hand found Ike to be terrifying the way he was. Not just that, but he was a considerable threat to the Empress Sanaki as well. They both positioned themselves in a way so that they would be better prepared to defend their leader if the situation deteriorated to a fight. Sanaki, however, was captivated by this unpredictable side of Ike. She had always respected and admired him for his kindness and honesty. This was something else though. A purely animalistic drive that the small empress had never been exposed to prior to this encounter, it was something new that both scared and excited her. Sanaki couldn't stop her golden eyes from traveling up and down Ike's partially clothed body. The large muscles on his arms and chest held her attention the most though. Tanith took note of the awe struck look upon Sanaki's delicate features. The brunette knight grit her teeth.

"Apostle Sanaki, may I remind you of why we are currently visiting this particular tent," Tanith spoke loud enough for all to hear while never taking her eyes off of Ike. The purple haired noble turned to look up at her personal guard utterly perplexed as to what she was getting at. Tanith let out a sigh before explaining her motives. "We are here to discuss the lackadaisical performance of General Ike since he has taken Daein's Maiden of Miracles as his captive. I do not believe he is taking this job seriously. I think that it is time he is discharged from the army along with his mercenary friends."

Sanaki's golden eyes widened at the suggestion Tanith had just made. Even Sigrun was visibly disturbed by such an accusation. Mist and Micaiah exchanged worried glances between themselves before returning their attention to the small empress to see what she would do next. No one noticed the sadistic grin that spread across Ike's features. He wanted out of the war. He was sick of fighting against a desperate enemy that resorted to a variety of dirty tricks to even out the fight. Most of all, he was tired of having to deal with numerous members of the beorc aristocracy. He wouldn't miss that headache in the slightest. Were they honestly going to let him go that easily? Was his luck finally starting to take a turn for the better?

"W-who else can lead the army in Ike's place?" Sanaki defended the mercenary oblivious that she was going against his wishes. "We would be without a proper leader. The only other person who would have the ability to command such a force as we have here is Zelgius. Since he is not present we have no one else to rely on but Ike."

"Do you not remember why you deemed this brute unfit to lead during the Mad King's War?" Tanith asked refusing to call Ike by his proper name or even give him a title. The man in question snorted defiantly at the insult. "He was of common birth and nothing more then an ill mannered thug. His speech was and still is lacking of a true leader's ability. There are many common soldiers in the employ of Begnion that have better education then this man here has! Turn the command of the army over to someone of better qualifications!"

Sanaki stood at a loss for words. She merely stared at her personal guard. Sigrun placed a comforting hand on the shoulder of the small empress while giving Tanith a condescending glare. The brunette knight turned away so that she did not have to look into the eyes of her friend. There was a small sign of shame on Tanith's face but she worked within herself to hide it from everyone else. No one moved for several moments. They were all just content to keep to their own thoughts for the time being. Ike glanced down at the silver haired girl at his side. He didn't want to admit it, but denying it would only cause further problems. He was selfish for taking Micaiah in the first place. Since then he had been putting forth less and less effort into his job. Sanaki had been driven from her home and come to him for help. She had tricked him into leading the army, but he probably would have ended up in that position eventually over the course of the war. Ike grit his teeth, he had been in the wrong the entire time. Now he had to make amends for his actions. They had pestered and annoyed him, but their reasons were well backed with proof. He had been neglecting his job.

"What are the qualifications for a good leader?" Sanaki suddenly asked in a low tone that lacked her usual confidence and strength. It caught everyone's attention. They waited for her to continue. "Is it a right bestowed upon the few by the Goddess Ashera? Is it something passed on in a bloodline? Should the leader be the strongest person or the most ambitious? Do the ends justify the means or should a leader's actions always be noble? Ike, people follow you because you are kind, honest and strong. You are a one of a kind person. You care about your soldiers. You fight and suffer alongside them. You are a natural leader. I was born into this role. I never asked for this. I don't want this. People follow me because they think that if they don't the Goddess Ashera will judge them as evil people. They do it out of tradition and fear. I don't have the qualifications to be the empress of the most powerful empire on this continent. I am the Apostle Sanaki though and whether I like it or not this is how my life is going to be. I only ask that you help save the people that I have so blindly led to their doom. Ike, please help me liberate the people of Begnion from the grips of those scheming senators."

As she closed her speech, Sanaki fell to her knees. Tears had started to form at the edges of her eyes. Ike felt the last bit of anger he had fade from his body. He inhaled deeply and let out a sigh. With two brief strides he stood, towering over the small form of the distraught girl. Sanaki timidly glanced up and met Ike's eyes briefly. She quickly turned her gaze to the ground. The mercenary kneeled down, but the empress still would not look at him. Ike cupped her chin with his forefinger and his thumb and forced her to look him in the eyes. A slight blush came to Sanaki's face.

"You make me out to be some kind of saint," the mercenary commented flatly letting his hand return to his side. "However, I have much to atone for in this life. I have been acting selfishly. I should have been more committed to this job then I have been these past few weeks. For that I am sorry. I will give you my full effort as long as I am in your employ from this point on."

Sanaki's face lit up and she threw her arms around her general's neck, thanking him time and time again. Ike gave her a slight pat on the back before pulling away. He stood up, then, helped Sanaki to her feet. She thanked her general once more and a slight smile spread across her face. Tanith and Sigrun smiled as well at the good atmosphere in the tent. Sanaki finally took notice of Micaiah sitting upright in the cot and being covered with only a tattered red cape. Her smile faded immediately. The silver haired girl swallowed hard. Her stomach knotted up as she felt something bad was about to happen. However, Sanaki's smile returned to her face and her eyes shone with a gentle kindness that Micaiah had only seen from Mist.

"Do you have nothing to wear?" the purple haired girl asked politely knowing what response she would receive without needing an actual answer. Micaiah shook her head. "You look like you are the same height as me. You are thin too. I think that it would be fine if I were to lend you one of my outfits."

"In the meantime you can keep that and you should put these on too," Ike instructed Micaiah as he tossed her his spare shirt and his head band. "Use that like a belt and my cape should help keep you warm outside."

Ike took the other shirt his sister had brought for him and quickly threw it on. Mist smiled as she saw her brother improving his behavior. He had controlled his temper and made amends with the empress to some extent. She knew that he would never completely like the ways of the nobility, but he was at least a step closer to being on friendly terms with the better people of the higher classes. Micaiah timidly asked for some privacy as she dressed and everyone complied. They averted their eyes as she pulled Ike's shirt over her head. She tied his head band around her waist before saying that she was done. However, this moment would not last.

"Enemy soldiers! There are enemy soldiers approaching the camp! To arms! To arms!"

The cry was taken up all throughout the camp as beorc ran to find a weapon if they were not already equipped with one. The noise from outside the tent was pure chaos. Ike drew Ragnell from its sheath and was about to leave when he heard a voice call out to him. He turned to face the speaker.

"B-be careful out there," Micaiah stammered while whishing that he would not go in the first place.

Ike nodded his head in acknowledgement and disappeared from sight. Everyone in the tent stared at where the mercenary had stood just moments before. It was an odd feeling not knowing what would happen to him, if he would come back unscathed. Would he come back at all? That question gnawed at the minds of every person who knew that a loved one was in battle. That ever persistent question: will I ever see him again? Only time can tell what will happen.

Ike could still hear the messenger running further into the camp sounding the alarm. The mercenary knew that the enemy would be in the opposite direction. He took off at a sprint towards the front line. He passed by groups of soldiers scrambling to get prepared for battle. Men ran around looking for a weapon, others were getting fully suited in their armor and then there were some soldiers that were doing nothing at all. Ike paused momentarily to yell at these few individuals to grab a weapon and hurry head for the enemy. However, the mercenary wasted no time to see if his order was followed because he knew that he would be needed at the front. He passed row after row of tents before coming into the open. What he saw was far from an encouraging sight. There was a mixed force of a few hundred laguz and beorc soldiers ready to fight, but the Daein soldiers that were advancing numbered in the thousands. Ike estimated them to be at least two thousand strong at least. He knew that he would be receiving groups of reinforcements throughout the battle. The majority of the fighting though would take place within the camp itself if this present group couldn't hold out that long.

Ike immediately began issuing orders to his soldiers. Both beorc and laguz scrambled about to form a perimeter around the border of the camp. The front line was thin. It was just three men deep in most places. More soldiers arrived and Ike ordered them to find a spot to fill. Bit by bit, the line was deepening. However, they did not yet number a thousand. Their enemy had a considerable advantage. Also, no units with the ability to strike from a distance had come to aid in the approaching battle. A few archers or mages would help level their chances considerably. The Dain soldiers were advancing at a steady march. Their black armor gave them a sinister look. It was intimidating to the outnumbered mixed force they were about to fight with. With an explosive battle cry, the Dain soldiers broke into a run as they charged their enemy. Ike took several calming breaths. There was nothing else that could be done to prepare for this attack. He maneuvered his way between his soldiers until he was at the front of the line and directly in the center. The middle was always the place that the fighting would last the longest and be the most intense.

The distance separating the two armies decreased by the second as the Daein soldiers continued their charge. The laguz soldiers transformed and, in unison, let out a terrifying roar. Many prayers were being said quickly, asking for protection in battle. Ike's eyes locked onto those of another man as he quickly approached. The man was slightly ahead of the rest of the army. He poised his arm to strike as he got closer. He was within range now. He stabbed at his opponent. Ike used the Ragnell as a barrier between him and the lance before plunging the golden blade through the chest plate of his enemy. The man collapsed, dead on the spot. However, no one on either side even noticed his passing from life. Each person was far too preoccupied with their own survival to care about who lived or died. Such matters would have their full effect when the battle had concluded.

The Daein army smashed right through the thin line in some places. Their charge was so fierce that they trampled many sections of the meek defense. Ike cursed as the worst possible scenario began to unfold. He stole a quick glance and saw soldiers clad in ebon armor rushing into the camp unchecked. They weren't even able to hold them up for a full minute. His attention was immediately brought back to battle at hand. The other soldiers in the camp would have to deal with the enemy troops that broke through. Ike cut down another man with ease before taking another look over his shoulder. He was glad he had. A Daein soldier wielding an ax was ready to cleave him in two. The mercenary shot his left hand up to catch the wooden shaft before the blade could ever reach his flesh. Without a second thought, he swung Ragnell through the man's shoulder and into his chest. Out of the corner of his eye, Ike managed to spot the glint of steel coming in his direction. He ducked in time to avoid getting his head severed from the rest of his body. The mercenary backed up several steps to give himself some separation from the Daein soldiers only to find more of them closing in on his sides. If this continued for much longer all of the troops of Apostle Sanaki's army that were defending the camp would be slaughtered.

"Fall back!" Ike roared as he cut down several more men. "Fall back, now! We need to regroup! Fall back!"

The Daein soldiers gave a shout of triumph as their enemy turned tail and fled. They descended upon the fleeing troops as a hawk swoops down upon its prey. There were several individuals that fought back the tide, but they were quickly overwhelmed and crushed. Ike continued to shout the order to retreat. He needed to create separation and muster a force large enough to break the momentum of the Daein soldiers. The sound of screams caused the mercenary to glance back over his shoulder. He saw at least a dozen men clad in ebon armor collapse. They were bleeding from numerous locations and most of them were either dead or very near to it. Ike knew of only one person that could use wind magic with such devastating power, Soren. However, he was not alone. Bolts of lightning lashed out from seemingly no particular location. The Daein soldiers that did not die instantly from the high voltage were left to suffer in their armor. The amount of energy being inserted into the metal heated it enough to melt the flesh right off of the person inside of it. Ike also knew of only one person capable of this level of power with electric based magic, Ilyana. The mercenary spotted them standing in front of a line of assembled troops, all of them armed and prepared for battle. Titania was at the head of the formation, astride her mount and still wearing the armor she had received while in the service of the late king of Crimea.

Ike grinned upon seeing that he had the reinforcements he needed. He dug his feet into the dirt and turned back around to face the oncoming Daein army. Their momentum had been broken thanks to the sudden onslaught from both Ilyana and Soren's magic. They no longer had the upper hand in numbers now that nearly the full force of the Apostle's army had assembled. Ike lifted Ragnell high above his head, holding it in one hand. The sun caught the parts of the golden blade that were not dripping with blood and it shone magnificently. From high in the sky, Micaiah watched the battle unfold with Sanaki and her personal body guards. She was mesmerized by how strong the mercenary commander truly was. He had plenty of physical strength, but that was not all the silver haired girl saw in that man. He had the ability to motivate people without speaking. His actions spoke for themselves. By standing alone to face an entire army instead of retreating to safety, was in itself was inspiring.

"Charge!" Ike roared as he brought Ragnell down and pointed it in the direction of his enemies. He did not wait for his allies though. He ran headlong into the Daein ranks as if to defeat them by himself. "Give them no quarter! Do not let them escape! Crush them here!"

The soldiers behind Ike cheered loudly as they rushed forward to aid their general who was about to enter battle alone. He didn't wait though. However, Soren and Ilyana carved a path for him in the middle of the Daein ranks with powerful magic that completely obliterated the individual soldier. Ike ruthlessly cut down one man after the other before the rest of his army even entered the fight. The gap behind him began to fill with Daein troops, but Boyd and Gatrie cut down the men attempting to fill the void. They were followed closely by more foot soldiers from the Greil Mercenaries. Together they grouped into a 'V' formation with Ike at the head.

"You have a death wish or something?" Boyd asked as he pulled his ax out of the helm of a Daein soldier. "This is beyond reckless."

"I want total victory," Ike shot back as he pressed the attack more fiercely then before.

Troops from the Apostle's army filed in behind the Greil Mercenaries and began expanding outwards. The Daein army had nearly been split in half by this maneuver. They had lost all momentum and were being forced to give up ground. Many of them began to break rank and flee. However, their escape route was cut off suddenly as a large wyvern crushed numerous men as it landed. With a sweep of its tail it sent another dozen soldiers flying through the air, many of them mortally wounded from the impact. Haar leapt off of his mount wielding a large poleax. He took on the soldiers that approached from his left, since that was the side his good eye was on, while his wyvern wreaked havoc on the right. It was a style of fighting that was not commonly used by the draco knights of either Daein or Begnion since it put both the rider and the wyvern at incredibly high risk. It also endangered their allies as well since the mount's movements have a long reach and are lethal. Haar, however, had been with his wyvern for years. They knew each other very well and had a special connection that allowed them to fight in such close proximity without having to worry about getting killed by their friend. The Daein soldiers had no response for their new opponent. Many of them just fled around, but the men directly in front of Haar and his wyvern had no means of escape. They had enemies pressing at their back and an unstoppable force slaughtering them from their front. The Daein soldiers tried get out of the center to flee from the camp. They only ended up running into their own men who were trying to do the exact same as everyone else. Their momentum had been completely crushed and now they were in a state of panic.

* * *

"Something isn't right here," Micaiah commented off handedly as she watched the battle from high in the sky. Her voice caught the attention of all three other females with her, their eyes pleaded for an explanation. With some hesitation the ex Daein general continued. "I know General Tauroneo, who is most likely in charge now, is not this stupid. He would never launch a head on assault against a force this large with so few troops of his own. If he was going to though he would never leave behind the cavalry, the draco knights, our magicians or our archers. I don't think anyone would be this reckless in an attack except Sothe, but Ike nearly killed him this morning."

"W-what was that?" Sanaki asked in disbelief.

"There was a fight in this morning between Ike and the Dawn Brigade," Micaiah began explaining. "He never wanted to fight in the first place but Sothe pushed it. He even attacked Ike when his back was turned. In the end Ike stabbed Sothe, but Laura, an amazing healer, was there to take care of him. I'm sure Sothe will survive."

Micaiah glanced over at Sanaki to find that her face held an unreadable expression. Her thought process was undecipherable as well. It was only for an instant that it could be seen before the empress looked down to observe the ongoing battle. The two members of the Holy Guard scanned the skies uneasily. Micaiah's comment about Daein not sending out their full force had them worried. They glanced down at the ground to see if any new troops had come into view. There was nothing, but that was a greater cause for concern. Sigrun tapped the ex Daein general on her shoulder. The silver haired girl turned to find out what she wanted.

"If this isn't Daein's full force, where do you think the rest of the soldiers are hiding?" the knight general asked.

Micaiah pondered the question for several moments before shrugging her shoulders. She honestly had no idea where the other Daein soldiers could potentially be hiding. She was a Daein citizen but she was far from familiar with the southern borders of the country. There was a decent amount of ground between the surrounding mountains and the camp. There was little chance of a sudden surge of reinforcements to storm the camp once again. However, if they moved out, the Daein army could have set up a potential ambush along the way. Micaiah glanced back down to see a mass of black fleeing from the camp with a large force close on its heels. A lone hawk flew up from the battle below to a location slightly above the two pegasi and their riders. The light brown feathers of the hawk faded to be replaced by a burgundy shirt with a green piece of cloth tied around his neck while he was in his human form. Micaiah recognized him as one of Ike's closer acquaintances but she couldn't remember his name. He didn't even turn to greet the four females behind him. His eyes were busy scanning the ground for something. His whole body twitched slightly, he had spotted his target.

"Ike! Hey, Ike!" he shouted at the top of his lungs while waving his arms back and forth hoping to get the general's attention. It must have worked because he soon stopped. "The Daein army is preparing an ambush point on the pass to the south east of our current position. That also seems to be the rally point for the retreating soldiers too. There are two other paths for us to take up ahead though. One goes slightly to the northeast and the other heads due north. Neither of those seems to have any current activity. The mountains are preventing me from seeing much else."

He suddenly shifted back into his hawk form and dove back towards the ground. Micaiah thought for a moment about the information that had just been revealed to her. She racked her brain trying to remember something that seemed like it should be relevant information. The memory of one of the times she was in a war conference floated to the top of her mind. The highly detailed maps of Daein were all laid out in front of her.

"That doesn't make sense," Micaiah muttered to herself not realizing she had actually spoken aloud. When she saw two pairs of eyes on her and a third that she knew was watching her back, she timidly continued. "That path, the one they are preparing an ambush on, if my memory serves me correctly, it doesn't lead anywhere. Just a short way down it the mountains come full circle and block the way. The one that heads north goes straight into the heart of Daein. The final one though, that one leads past Nox Castle and is the only path that goes into the Begnion Empire. It doesn't make sense that they are defending a path that goes nowhere. Their efforts would be better spent fortifying the castle and preparing for an attack. Whoever is running the army at this point has no idea what he is doing."

"Let's hope that his stupidity is our good fortune," Sigrun commented. "Perhaps with this we will finally be able to get past Daein and into the empire without any further blood shed."

Micaiah smiled at the thought, but she had a feeling that things were not going to be that simple. The Daein military was strong, even more so now that they had an icon that they raised to the level of a goddess. However, they were capable a major façade to deceive their enemy. Micaiah knew that things were not as they seemed. Even if none of her friends were in charge of the army there were still plenty of other cunning military men willing to do whatever it took to win a war. The blood shed would continue until Daein was decimated. Micaiah knew this. It was all because of the blood pact that Pelleas had signed. He had unknowingly made his own country a meat shield for wicked, ambitious men. Daein would perish in the end if they were unable to win this war, but Begnion would suffer the same fate if the Apostle did not return. Neither side had more of a right to live then the other. Micaiah felt, for the first time, the affects of the moral dilemma she was faced with. She could save her own country and people by betraying Ike and his soldiers. That was the last thing she wanted to do. She could just do nothing, which is in itself a course of action. By doing nothing her people would lose their icon and means of strength and eventually they would be decimated.

Micaiah gnawed at her lower lip. She wanted to talk to Ike about this matter. She doubted he would be able to help, but just having him there to listen would be enough. She would do it after he had finished his duties for the day. The silver haired girl smiled to herself. The world may be destined for destruction, but she felt that she could find happiness in Ike. It was a rather odd notion. It was an inexplicable sensation. Even in the darkest of times a loved one will always bring a glimmer of light to clear away negative feelings and bring a new sense of hope and life.

* * *

**Done! Wow that took forever to get out. Listen everyone I'm terribly sorry for my considerably long absence. It's just that school and football has consumed every waking moment of my existence. I hardly have any free time. But as you can see I have managed to scrape enough time together to finish another chapter. I won't promise any speedy updates but I will get working on the next chapter as quickly as possible. I hope you have enjoyed my latest chapter. You people know the drill here. Leave any comments, questions or concerns you may have about the story and I will try to respond to all of your reviews. Thanks for reading!**


	22. The End of a Long Day

Hero and a Priestess

**

* * *

**

**Haha it feels good to keep writing these chapters. Football ended for our team so I've got nothing else to do until baseball season starts. Anyways, here is a bit of a recap of the last few chapters, which really have just been over the span of around twenty-four hours which I will be finishing up with this chapter. First off Micaiah follows Ike out of the camp in the middle of the night, she runs off after they talk for a bit and he chases after her. Ike gets into a fight with some members of the Dawn Brigade barely escaping with his life, which was all thanks to Micaiah's healing abilities. Haar and Jill are sent out to retrieve the misplaced mercenary. Ike and Micaiah share a rather short but still intimate moment. Ike has an epiphany and then the Daein army shows up. However, something did not feel quite right about the attack to Micaiah. Well that's where we left off, that was longer then expected. Onwards with the next chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

"It seems safe enough to land now, but this area is far too crowded with soldiers," Tanith announced rather annoyed. Her tone immediately became one of fury with her next sentence. "What the hell are those Daein bastards thinking? Look at all the death and destruction they are causing!"

The knight took in a breath to continue but Sanaki raised her hand signaling for silence. Tanith glared at the empress's back. She didn't dare go against her orders though. Micaiah scanned the ground. It was nearly impossible for her to make out the individual person from the group except Ike. She had tried to keep her eyes on him at all times. However, she could immediately tell the difference between the living and the dead or severely wounded. The silver haired girl cringed as her eyes took everything in. For a skirmish that had only lasted a few hours there were an alarming number of casualties. What was more shocking was that in some places the ground had visibly changed color due to the large amounts of blood it had absorbed. Micaiah buried her face in her hands, ashamed and remorseful for the loss of life. Little did she know Sanaki was watching her. Micaiah lifted her head once more to scan the ground, this time to determine which side had done more damage to the other.

"Let's circle around the camp and find a suitable place to land that is near your tent Empress Sanaki," Sigrun offered politely. The girl nodded slightly but her attention was mostly focused on Daein's Maiden of Miracles. "Very well, we may have to land sooner then desired though. I know my pegasus has not been in the greatest of health since he was exposed to the oil. His endurance is not what it normally is and I can tell he is very tired right now. The same goes for the entire Holy Guard's mounts. We won't be able to perform as well or be as heavily relied upon."

Micaiah knew this one was entirely her fault as well, but she had to hold back from laughing at Sigrun's final comment. The ambush where Ike had taken her captive was the only time the majority of the Holy Guard had even been involved in a fight. To say that they could not be relied on so heavily anymore was nothing short of a joke. It brought a small smile to the ex general's face as they began to descend in wide looping circles. Despite the fact that they were going relatively slow the wind was still fierce. Micaiah had to squint her eyes against it, eventually shutting them tight. She found it nauseating not being able to see where she was going. She thought it better to endure a little motion sickness then have agitated eyes. However, when she felt herself suddenly in a free fall her golden orbs snapped open to find out what was wrong. Micaiah could still feel Sigrun behind her and a solid body beneath her so they hadn't been thrown off. She glanced around to see Tanith and Sanaki not far behind and to the right. Everyone seemed very calm despite the fact that they were plummeting towards the ground at an alarming rate.

"Brace yourself, we're about to land," Sigrun spoke directly into Micaiah's ear startling the girl slightly.

The silver haired girl clung tightly to the saddle beneath her. She felt though that they were going too fast to land safely. Micaiah shut her eyes again this time was because she was feeling a little scared. Sigrun could sense just how tense the poor girl in front of her was getting. She figured that Micaiah had never flown before or at least not on a fast paced pegasus.

"Don't be so nervous," the knight spoke as soothingly as she possibly could while she pulled up on reigns. The great white wings of the pegasus beat against the wind bringing them to an abrupt stop. From there it gently lowered itself to the ground. "This is just a standard landing procedure. Even with a tired mount rarely will anything go wrong."

Sigrun helped Micaiah to dismount. As soon as her feet touched the ground she realized that her balance was off. The silver haired girl took a few unsteady steps before stumbling and falling to her knees. Sanaki walked over and stopped directly in front of her. Micaiah glanced up to find a slight smile on the young empress's face. Her pale cheeks began to glow as she noticed that she had been the only one to fall. The slender girl immediately picked herself up, but she had to take a moment before she had her balance back completely. Sanaki giggled at the spectacle.

"You are not accustomed to transitioning from flying to walking are you?" the little empress teased. Micaiah shook her head slightly answering the question but also hoping that her silver hair would hide her growing embarrassment. "Don't feel too bad though. No one is really that great at something when they first start out. If you keep flying with us I'm sure this sort of thing won't bother you anymore."

"Maybe, but for now I like my feet on the ground," Micaiah said feeling less like a fool.

"I figured you would," Sanaki commented bringing the matter to a close. "Now, let's get back to the task at hand, finding you some decent clothes. You can't go around like that. Your appearance is that of someone living on the streets."

Micaiah glanced down at herself. She was wearing a black shirt that went all the way down to her knees and the sleeves extended well past her hands. She had Ike's forest green bandana tied around her waist as a belt. She also had his red cape which was dragging behind her due to the fact that there was a considerable difference in height between her and the original owner. Micaiah picked up the frayed end of the fabric and wrapped it around herself. The mercenary had been right. It did help keep her warm. However, she was wearing clothes made for a man that was almost two feet taller then her and it made Micaiah feel slightly self conscious. She stuck her arm out and moved it in a circular motion causing the dark fabric to twist around. She had to admit, wearing Ike's clothes was very comfortable since they were so big on her.

"Anyways, I'm guessing that you want something warm yet not overly extravagant," Sanaki spoke as she tapped her chin lightly with her forefinger. "Let me think. What should I give you? I'd like to give you something that you would like, but unfortunately our styles are very different. If memory serves me correctly the outfit you wore out on the battlefield, your professional look if you will, was rather tight fitting. I don't know if you intended this or not, however, it outlined your figure very nicely."

Micaiah's face began to brighten in color as all the blood rushed up in her embarrassment. She was flattered and quite pleased by Sanaki's comment, but the effects were lost on her when she remembered just who insisted on her wearing the outfit, Pelleas. He had pestered her for nearly a week before she agreed to put it on for formal events or any military related gathering. Micaiah thought back further to the single set of clothing she had worn for nearly a year. Sothe had selected that one for her saying "it just seems to personify the look of a fortuneteller." The silver haired girl blushed deeper as she wondered what men thought of the way she dressed, her main concern was Ike.

"Oh my, you really are a shy person," Sanaki noted thinking that her statement is what was causing Micaiah to blush, not understanding the underlying thought process. "I think that it is just fine to show off like that if you have the body for it. I see it all throughout the camp. Both men and women do it, beorc and laguz. To be honest that's why I cover up the way I do. I don't like to admit it, but I'm still a child and I'd get laughed at standing next to some of the other women in this army. I'll grow though. Then they will be the ones that won't compare to me!" Sanaki paused at this point. She thought for a moment before refocusing. "I can't decide anything here. I have to see you wearing the clothes before I can determine what you can have. Come now, let's go."

The little empress turned abruptly on her heel and, with an air of superiority about her, strode away at a rather brisk pace for someone as short as she. Her personal guards hastened to get into their position slightly behind her and on either side. Sigrun and Tanith led their mounts so that they trailed behind them slightly. All three of them were synchronized with each other's movements while Micaiah had to run to catch up. The tag along made the usually regal and authoritative trio appear more jocular and slightly more approachable then normal. The silver haired girl was not able to walk in step with the other females nor was she dressed in even a remotely decent fashion. She received odd gazes from soldiers as she passed along her way. They did not like seeing a prisoner walking freely; with the apostle they were sacrificing themselves for no less! Micaiah sensed their leering eyes upon her back as she hurried onwards, attempting to hide between the two pegasus.

Sanaki's tent, if it had the qualifications to even be called such, was easily distinguished from the rest of the camp. It was of considerably larger size, plus it was not the dull color of a normal canvas tent. The empress's was a rich violet with scarlet tassels hanging from the upper ledge of what would be considered the end of the roof. They framed the doorway as well. Tanith stepped forward to pull back the thick flap to allow the others to enter with ease. Sigrun disappeared inside first and then Sanaki followed closely behind. Micaiah hesitated momentarily. She had never enjoyed the lavish lifestyle that the nobility was accustomed to having. However, a stern and impatient glare from the knight temporarily acting as a servant got her to quickly enter as well. Tanith ducked inside, letting the flap fall back into place behind her. The inside was cast into an odd mode of twilight with a violet hue. Micaiah timidly stepped forward, her eyes not yet adjusted to the new setting. She was surprised when she did not feel the hard impact of the sole of her boot on frozen earth. No, instead she felt something quite soft beneath her foot, very much like spongy moss. Micaiah attempted to peer through the unusual light, but it was not sufficient enough for her to even make out the floor she was standing on.

The silver haired girl remained where she stood while she heard the other three females move further into the darkness. There was some rustling and then an orb of fire appeared from seemingly nowhere. The light was harsh compared to the soft violet one that had filled the room previously. Micaiah shut her eyes against it at first, but she quickly adjusted to the brightness. The flaming ball hovered just above Sanaki's small open palm. The purple haired girl place one finger inside the orb and pulled out a single flame. The empress then pointed where she wanted it to go and it went to light a candle wick. Micaiah watched with both amazement and wonder as this process was continued until every candle inside the tent had been lit. The silver haired girl used her magic for combat related purposes only. Never before had she thought to put the ability to practical use. When Sanaki had finished, Micaiah took the chance to glance down at the ground she stood on. The entire span of the tent, minus the first few feet at the entrance, was covered by numerous rugs. She couldn't help but be amazed, and slightly disturbed, at the immense gap in the style of living between the apostle and the common soldier. None of the other officers in the army had anything that was remotely as nice.

As the candles burned down a little various aromas drifted into Micaiah's nostrils. She inhaled deeply and held her breath in. The scent of the candles was very soothing. What they were made of was something that she could not figure out. However, it did not matter because there was no opening in the fabric of the tent for the smoke to escape from. The air quickly grew very heavy and Micaiah found it to be uncomfortable. Sanaki and her guards, on the other hand, appeared to enjoy the dense fumes. The ex-general had never had the money to afford such luxuries as perfumes, incense, or any of the many other items that were popular among the ladies of court around the continent. Even when she could afford them she found them to be bothersome after a while. She had initially been excited when she bought her first bottle of perfume. Micaiah remembered that it was made of lavender. After she had used it a few times, she could not stand the unfamiliar scent on her body. The small glass bottle now sat, untouched, on a desk in the room she had been given after being promoted to general of the Daein army.

Micaiah watched as Sanaki walked to one of several large trunks lying to one side in a pile. Tanith promptly laid each of them out on the floor, with considerable effort, before returning to what she had been doing previously. The small empress got down on her knees and ran her hand over the polished wood of one of the aged trunks. She undid the brass mechanisms that kept the top from opening. With a slow motion and a sideways glance at the silver haired girl standing beside her, Sanaki began to pry the sections apart. Her motions were not unlike those of an explorer opening the chest that may very well contain immense wealth. Micaiah kept her distance, with her hands clasped behind her back, while she rocked back and forth on her feet, patiently waiting for the gift she was about to receive. The minutes slowly passed by as the small empress searched through the trunk with increasing vigor. Her guards were almost ready to help when Sanaki finally stood back up holding something hidden from view by her body. She had a slight grin on her face and her eyes flashed dangerously. Micaiah felt her heart drop. Sanaki pulled out from behind her back a bundle of clothes, all of them ebony with golden trim.

"Apostle, those are for funerals! " Sigrun protested, alarmed at what her liege was doing. "Please, I ask you to reconsider this."

"Why should I?" Sanaki asked, her smile turning into a grin. "I think its fitting really. She has single-handedly brought about the deaths of thousands of people. Not only that, but she should be dressed appropriately for the death of her country. Don't you agree? I think it's rather charitable of me to give a person in need such nice things that have a duel purpose. Micaiah, am I not a kind person? Don't you simply love the clothes I have selected for you?"

The silver haired girl struggled to keep herself from exploding with rage, something she did not have to do often. Not only was she furious, but she had to choke back tears as well. However, Micaiah realized the position she was in. She was a prisoner before the most powerful person on the continent. She could do nothing except mind her manners and be grateful. She nodded and one tear betrayed her thoughts as it escaped. Micaiah attempted to discretely wipe it away, but Sanaki had already spotted it.

"If you are pleased with me why don't you tell me so?" the small empress pressed onwards receiving encouragement from Tanith while Sigrun hung her head in disgrace. "Go on; thank me for my gift to you as is the polite thing to do."

"Don't forget that you are speaking to the Apostle of Begnion, so watch your tongue and choose your words wisely," Tanith chimed in visibly enjoying herself.

"T-thank you f-for the clothes, Empress Sanaki, I truly appreciate your kindness," Micaiah spoke in monotone as she did her best to hide her emotions.

The silver haired girl stood waiting to actually receive the clothes that Sanaki still held in her hands. Her golden eyes glistened with moisture, but she stayed strong in the face of her tormentors. Micaiah kept her shoulders squared, yet they shook slightly as her breath came in unevenly since she was on the verge of breaking into tears. Not getting the reaction she had hoped for, Sanaki held the neatly folded clothes out to the other girl. Micaiah reluctantly walked to where the small empress stood and timidly reached out her hand. Just before her finger tips touched the fabric, Sanaki let the cloth slip from her hands. Tanith snorted as she tried to stifle a laugh. The small empress held up her hands as a sign of apology, acting as if it was nothing more then an accident. Micaiah lowered her eyes and glared at the ground since she could not glare at the girl in front of her. To everyone's surprise Sigrun gathered the pile of clothes in one arm and pushed the silver haired girl towards the exit with the other.

"I will escort the prisoner back to her quarters now," the woman announced as she hurried out before anyone had a chance to protest.

As soon as they had left the tent Micaiah found herself nearly being dragged along as Sigrun took off at a fast pace. The short girl had to jog to keep up with the taller woman. They did not travel far though for the general pulled the silver haired girl into the darkness of a nearby tent. Once inside Sigrun gently pressed the clothes into the chest of the Daein girl. Micaiah gladly accepted them as she hugged them close to her body. The restraint she had while in front of Sanaki vanished in an instant as she heaved a sob. Sigrun gently placed one of her slender hands on the crying girl's heaving shoulders.

"I want to apologize on behalf of the Apostle," the knight began awkwardly since what she wanted to say was something she could not say to a prisoner of war. "Her behavior was far out of line. I'm sorry you had to endure that. It is a disgrace to our country. I will not lie, she is far from fond of you," Micaiah let out a sarcastic laugh as her crying began to subside. "It is not my place to say, but I think this war with Daein has become far too personal for the Apostle. In the beginning she did not wish to fight. Now, she desires the destruction of Daein. The reason behind that is her jealousy. Ike rejected her yet he accepted you. I think you know what motivates her."

"Can you take me to Ike?" Micaiah whispered as she dabbed at her eyes with the spare cloth that hung over her hands. "I want to see him."

"I-I don't know where he is at the moment," Sigrun stammered, not expecting her apology to be completely disregarded. "I could attempt to locate one of the other members of the Greil Mercenaries. I'm sure they would be considerably easier to find and surely one of them could direct you to General Ike."

"No," Micaiah rejected the idea outright with no emotion in her voice causing the other woman to flinch slightly. "If you can't take me to Ike directly, could you at least take me to his tent so that I may wait for him to return?"

"Very well, please come with me then," Sigrun surrendered to the girl's will not wanting to upset her more then Sanaki already had.

Micaiah followed the kind-hearted woman out of the tent and through the camp. The whole way she couldn't help but feel slightly guilty for not acting in a more courteous fashion to someone who showed sympathy towards her. Yet she did not feel that it was the proper time for apologies either. Micaiah stared at the back of the tall woman walking in front of her. She followed Sigrun's every step while keeping her eyes fixed on the woman, the small priestess did not want to look at anything else. It was an inexplicable sensation, but she knew that there was death and destruction all around her. She could feel it, even worse, she could smell it.

"Here we are," Sigrun spoke up stopping abruptly and pointing to a particular tent.

Micaiah thanked the knight for her services before immersing herself in the darkness the thick fabric provided. She found the tent to be void of any life, exactly what she had anticipated. She set her new set of clothes on a small table. Micaiah scanned the rest of the tent for something to occupy her mind until Ike returned, if he returned. She shook her head to rid it of that terrifying thought. It did not help. Instead it brought images to her mind's eye as well as horribly nauseating feelings. Micaiah closed her eyes tight, hoping that it would prevent her from seeing Ike's death. She clutched her head and sank to her knees as her thoughts consumed her. She desperately prayed that this was not a vision.

"Micaiah, are you in here?" a familiar female voice broke in. "Oh, there you are. I've been searching for you. Sigrun told me you would be in here. Are you alright?" Mist asked with great concern in her tone. "You don't look so good. What's wrong?"

"A lot of things are wrong right now," Micaiah whispered so that the brunette could barely hear. Mist walked over and placed a comforting arm around the other girl's shoulders, urging her to continue. "This war is the worst thing possible. Daein shouldn't even be fighting in it. Even though I hate it I also feel grateful for it, but that presents another problem. Ike is the greatest enemy of Daein and as my country's hero, he should be my enemy too. I can't fight him but I don't want him to destroy my homeland either. Why can't life be simple? Why do people of power take advantage of those that are weaker then them?"

Mist perked up at this last question feeling that there was something more behind it. However, she felt it was not a good idea to press the matter as Micaiah began to cry. Mist did her best to comfort her friend. Nothing worked as tears continued to pour from the other girl's golden eyes. War had a massive affect on those not suited for it. Mist silently thanked her brother and Boyd for keeping her duties to a minimum. Neither her nor Micaiah were proper warriors or had the mindset of a hardened soldier. The battlefield was not a place where they belonged.

"I'm sorry but I have to go," Mist suddenly spoke up after a few minutes had passed. "There are many wounded that I must attend to. I'm sorry. Ike is fine, well as fine as he can be after a battle. That thick headed idiot refuses to let us fix him up because he wants his men mended first. He's probably going to come back here some time after night fall and pass out. That's just how he is. Give me a second."

Micaiah, still on her knees, watched as her friend stood up and dashed outside. Mist returned a few moments after clutching a long wooden staff with a large red gem lodged in teeth of iron at one end. She held out the staff and Micaiah took it from her. The silver haired girl had just started learning how to heal with staves. Laura had been instructing her on it while she introduced her to the field of light magic. That was just after Daein had reclaimed independence. Micaiah frowned. Those memories seemed as if they occurred hundreds of years ago, but in reality they had only happened a few short months before.

"I'm sure you know how to use these tools of healing," Mist stated with an encouraging smile. "When my idiot brother returns all bloodied up, you have my permission to whack him over the head with that before you heal his wounds."

Both girls shared a slight laugh before Mist finally departed to fulfill her duties as one of the strongest healers in the camp. Micaiah was once again alone. She was not entirely happy, but she did feel considerably more optimistic then she had previously. The silver haired girl searched for something to help her pass the time. Her eyes immediately fell on the clothes Sanaki had given her. Her blood boiled at the thought, but a smile slowly began to spread across her face. No one ever said the fabric could not be cut up or altered to fit her liking. Micaiah picked up the pile of clothes and examined what she had to work with. She frowned, realizing that she had been given a dress. However, as she unfolded it more clothes fell out of it. Micaiah's smile returned once again. She laid the dress back on the table and picked up the other layers that had fallen out. She was pleased to find that there were a pair of leggings, an under shirt, long gloves and a thick cloak, all of which was black. Sanaki had provided her with more then enough to make something to her liking.

Micaiah immediately began to search for a knife. She rummaged through the few bags that held all of Ike's belongings, but she could not find a blade of any kind. She was about to resign herself to wait for one when she spotted something sticking out from under the pile of clothes she had placed on the small wooden table. The silver haired girl nearly leaped with exhilaration when she pulled the sheathed dagger from under the dress. Even in the dim light the edge of the blade flashed maliciously. Micaiah thought for a moment before uttering a quick spell under her breath. An orb of light appeared in the palm of her unoccupied hand and, just as she had seen Sanaki do, the now excited girl scattered the ball into several locations around the tent. Micaiah smiled to herself. The Apostle had tried to belittle her, but in the end she had actually been more helpful then harmful. She couldn't speak out directly against the most powerful person on the continent. This was her only way to defy Sanaki.

Micaiah took another look around the tent, searching for another elevated surface so that she would not have to place the clothes she was not working with in the dirt. A pile of furs caught her attention. It was not a conventional bed by military standards, but it was what Ike used to sleep on. The animal fur would definitely keep a person warm during the cold months. Micaiah placed everything except the dress on the bed, since that was really the only thing she wished to alter. She paused, glancing over the intricate patterns of gold on the sleeves and lower half of the dress. She would only have the ability to cut parts off, so she formed an idea of what she wanted. With a mental image, Micaiah got to work. She worked for several hours without taking a break and when she had finished it was very near to sun set outside.

The silver haired girl smiled as she examined the finished product. She had cut the sleeves off of the dress, but had kept them as part of her outfit. The fingers had been severed at middle on the gloves. Micaiah slid the gloves on over her hands and pulled on the sleeves to cover her arms. She struggled to keep them in place and quickly cut two thin strands of golden trim off of the spare cloth she had to make string. The silver haired girl then fastened the sleeves in place. When she had finished she looked at herself as best she could. Micaiah realized just how similar her current outfit was to the one she wore during the liberation of Daein. She immediately doused the orbs of light floating around the tent sending it back into darkness. The tent was not in total darkness so night had not yet fallen.

Micaiah lay down on the mats of fur and closed her eyes while she waited for Ike to return. She quickly drifted off into a light sleep. Her rest was abruptly ended by the sound of a heavy object dropping to the ground. The silver haired girl sat upright and quickly summoned a spell to light the tent. She spotted Ike face down in the dirt. Ragnell was still clutched tightly in his fist. Micaiah could see numerous cuts through his shredded shirt. She sighed as she picked up the staff that Mist had leant her. Micaiah did her best to salvage what was left of the shirt as she removed it, but it ripped in half.

"Why don't you take better care of your clothes?" the silver haired girl asked more to herself then anyone in particular.

"Do you really only care about my clothes?" a weak voice spoke up causing Micaiah to jump. Ike was actually conscious. He rolled onto his back so he could see her. "I take it you didn't like what Sanaki had to offer you. That is not something a noble would wear. Well, it's not anymore at least. I like it though."

Micaiah could only manage a smile. Ike forced himself into a sitting position as he removed what was once a shirt from his torso. He knew his body was in bad shape, but hearing Micaiah's gasp only made him feel guilty for being as reckless as he was. He avoided her eyes as she slowly set herself to the task of healing each and every one of his wounds. Micaiah paused at an unusual looking bruise. It was massive and unlike any other she seen before. The flesh on Ike's back had turned yellow and green in places. She ran her fingers lightly along it only to receive a hiss of pain from her patient. She quickly apologized as Ike let out a laugh.

"That bastard was hiding in a tent and I didn't see him in time," the beaten mercenary explained. "I was too busy fighting with his companion when he comes up behind me and smashes me with a massive war hammer. That hurt a lot more then getting slashed. I want to avoid getting beaten with a hammer for the rest of my life!"

Micaiah stood shocked as Ike laughed at his own pain. She couldn't believe he could joke about something so serious. Remembering Mist's words from earlier, the silver haired girl whacked the mercenary with her staff. Not particularly hard but enough to let him know she wasn't pleased. When he began to protest she cut him off.

"Do you have any idea how worried you make people?" Micaiah asked doing her best to be angry, but it was a pathetic attempt as Ike started to chuckle. "W-what are you laughing at? I'm being serious here! You worry me and Mist and probably just about everyone else in the Greil Mercenaries! Stop laughing!"

"I'm sorry Micaiah, but I can tell you really aren't that angry," Ike said flashing her a smile. "I know you worry about me and I feel guilty that I have come back like this twice today. I feel bad every time I make people worry about me. That tells me something though. People care about me. There may not be that many, but I'll take the few people that I've got. Besides I can't help laughing. I stare Death in the face on a regular basis. What else can I do but laugh at him. It helps lighten the mood."

Both fell quiet as Micaiah returned to her task of healing Ike's body. The whole time she pondered over his words. He didn't have a healthy view of battle in her opinion, but fighting was all he knew. He was a mercenary and fighting not only defined him, it gave him the ability to live. If he didn't fight he could not make money. Micaiah gave him a light pat on the shoulder when she had finished. Ike stood up and grabbed his water skin. He uncorked the container and took a long drink from it. The mercenary pulled out a dirty rag out from a bag and gave it a glare of dissatisfaction. Micaiah quickly picked up a piece of extra cloth from the dress she had cut apart. Ike thanked her as he wet it and cleaned the dirt and blood from his body. Micaiah stood off to one side not sure what to do next. She thought of going back to Mist's tent, if she could find it. As she made an attempt to leave she felt a strong hand grab hold of her arm.

"You're staying here tonight," Ike stated with a grin.

Micaiah gasped as he hoisted her into his arms and carried her the short distance to the furs he used as a bed. Ike set her back down so he could pull one of the skins off to use as a blanket. He kicked his boots off and lay down and Micaiah followed suit. The mercenary pulled her body close to his. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he felt her body heat up.

"It's been a long day for us both, Micaiah. Good night."

"G-good night," the girl managed to squeak in reply.

Micaiah felt embarrassed but very comfortable and pleased at her situation. With his arms wrapped protectively around her waist Ike fell into a deep sleep with Micaiah following shortly after him.

* * *

**Yes, I finished another one. Sorry for the long time between updates. This year has most definitely been tougher then my other ones. Well that's all I've got to say for now. I love reading all of your reviews. Anything is appreciated and I'll see everyone next chapter!**


	23. The Flames of War Rekindled

Hero and a Priestess

* * *

**Wow it has been a really long time guys! I am sorry about that! I've been unbelievably busy and a lot has happened in these past months. To fill you in on just a few things that happened: one of my teammates from football died, midterms, I got swamped with essays and projects at the end of last school year, baseball (we kinda sucked), then I got a nasty bacterial infection at the start of summer (the meds made me sick too), college essays, looking for a car and now I'm back in football again. Life comes at you fast! Well, its nice to sit back and write too. Once again, I'm sorry for being gone for so long and I hope you enjoy my latest chapter!**

* * *

Micaiah stretched her arm to her side as she slowly returned to the waking world. She anticipated hitting a body, but instead her hand plopped down into the mass of fur that was the mat she had been sleeping on. Her eyes fluttered open, but the pervasive darkness shrouded the world around her in a deep black. Micaiah propped herself up on one elbow as she stroked the matted fur where Ike had laid the night before. She frowned slightly. No matter how early she would rise, Ike would always be gone. In the month that had passed since they had started this new routine, she had not once managed to see him in the morning. Micaiah's frown deepened as the realization washed over her as it had many times before. Ike never slept peacefully from the first night she had been with him. He had not once cried out or moved about violently, but she could tell. When he was asleep was the only time she was able to feel his emotions. Micaiah cringed as she remembered the sickening feeling she had the first time she sensed one of Ike's nightmares. What was bothering him exactly, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that whatever it was it filled Ike's heart with sorrow, hatred, anger and a self loathing so intense it made her want to cry.

Micaiah rolled over onto her side, strands of silver splayed around her head like a halo. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to wander. It immediately latched itself onto a single concept: what is and isn't fair. Was Ike's nocturnal torment justified? Micaiah began to think about everything he had done that she knew about. He had taken command of the mercenary company after his father's death. From a lowly mercenary he skipped all ranks and immediately landed at the top as a noble of Crimea. Although for him that was more torture then a reward since he hated what he had just become. With his new authority he liberated a country and kept civilian suffering to a minimum. It wasn't just Crimea he was concerned with during the Mad King's War either. She had heard that he used his army's supplies to lend support to those in Daein that had lost their homes or livelihood as a result of the battles being fought within the country. Ike and the Greil Mercenaries acted as the executioner's ax in bringing a quick and decisive end to the Crimean rebellion only a few months prior. Also, just recently, Ike took up the sword against his former allies in Begnion because of their racist attitudes towards the laguz. Now he commanded an army of mixed race and nationality to go overthrow a government system that oppresses and enslaves people that they considered lesser humans. Micaiah considered everything she had heard about this incredible man. A small smile played at her lips as she remembered when he had taken her captive. Even then he had treated her in a civil, humane manner despite the fact she was an enemy. He may not have been gentle or exceedingly kind at that point but they were on a battlefield and she hadn't expected him to be. Also, in just the past month he had managed to grant her with a wide variety of new freedoms. They were small things like being allowed to wander the camp during daylight hours but they meant a lot to her.

Micaiah inhaled the crisp morning air and let it out as a sigh as she reached a conclusion; life simply isn't fair. She didn't like the sound of that. It contradicted everything she had ever believed. A man is supposed to reap the seeds he has sown. If that man is a good man then he shall be rewarded accordingly. However, a wicked man should never be rewarded for his actions. Instead he should be condemned and punished. That is the way things should be. That was not the way things were though. Micaiah wanted to believe that everyone got what they deserved in the end, but it never appeared that way to her anymore. Honest, hard-working people were constantly stepped on by people in authority who wanted nothing more then to line their pockets with a little extra coin. The silver haired girl shook her head to clear her mind of such depressing thoughts. A small smile slowly spread over her expression as she realized that Ike was fighting to aid those down trodden people. He really was a hero to the people and the perfect example for what a good man should be. That was her opinion at least.

Micaiah suddenly felt the need to know what kind of horrific images Ike saw at night to make him have such intense emotional reactions. She had meant to ask him since the first night she felt his pain; however, Micaiah had found that she simply was incapable of mustering up the courage to ask him. It was not only her timid nature around him but fear as well. She had no idea how he would react to being asked what caused him to feel the way he does. Micaiah felt as if she didn't want to know the answer either, especially if it was something that tainted the image she had of him. She opened her golden eyes and was glad to see that the walls of the tent were beginning to turn a bluish hue with the approaching dawn. She began wondering what Ike was doing so early in the morning. Micaiah summoned a small amount of energy and focused it into an orb of light. She smiled; even though Sanaki was not kind to her she had still taught her a valuable skill, not intentionally though. It was an interesting little trick. Micaiah had tested it out a little bit. The young priestess found it to be an incredibly simple concept to grasp. With just a few minor adjustments to the actual chanting of the spell, Micaiah was able to form an orb that used the energy within it over a period of time instead of all at once. After it had exhausted its power supply, it vanished. Managing to summon several orbs at once, though, was another trick entirely and one that she had yet to learn. With the light she had created, Micaiah began to prepare herself for the approaching day. A soft orange glow passed by the wall of the tent accompanied by several footsteps. The silver haired girl sighed, as the patrol continued its round. Dawn could never come fast enough for Micaiah and Ike was never around when she woke up. She always wondered what the mercenary was up to so early in the morning.

* * *

Ike had the heel of his boot pressed against Mia's wrist as she struggled on the ground. Rhys sighed as he watched the feisty woman attempt to kick her commander off. However, he easily blocked the attack with his free hand and stabbed Ragnell into the ground next to Mia's head.

"That makes six this morning," Ike said as he helped his defeated opponent to her feet. Mia cursed her consecutive losses and readied her sword for another match. "Sorry, but that's it for today."

"Why's that Boss?" Mia pouted as she sheathed her blade knowing full well that Ike was being serious. "Are you afraid that I'll beat you this time?"

"Hardly," the large man replied as he gathered up his gear. "No, I scheduled a meeting for this morning. The last scouting party came back yesterday and gave their report to Soren. This is not something I can skip out on. That and if I don't go and change into something more decent our employer will complain again. I'll see you later Mia, Rhys."

"Pushover!" Mia yelled after Ike teasingly.

He simply waved in acknowledgment as he walked away. All around the camp beorc and laguz alike were emerging from their tents. Ike looked at their faces as he passed and noticed a variety of different expressions. Most of the laguz looked worn out from their many battles that took lead them all over the continent. They looked cold and hungry as well. The beorc soldiers from Begnion looked just as exhausted as their laguz allies having travelled an equally long distance and fought in the same battles. They too were cold and hungry. However, none of them looked like they wanted to quit. The laguz had a burning desire for vengeance against the senators that murdered their messenger and the Begnion soldiers wanted nothing more then to reclaim their homeland. Ike noticed that the Crimean soldiers had a different look about them though. They were well prepared for the cold of Daein. They were better rested and had eaten better more recently then any of the other soldiers. However, they appeared the least motivated and most ready to return home. After all, this was not their war. They had no desire to fight for a cause that meant nothing to them. Ike couldn't help feeling his gut twist in rage. Crimea had been saved from Daein thanks to both laguz and Begnion troops during the Mad King's War, but now that it was time to repay the favor they did not want to help.

Ike took a deep breath to calm down before he entered his tent. It took a few seconds before his eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness, but when they had he saw that Micaiah was gone. He let out a sigh. He had hoped to see her but as usual she had already left to go help out around the camp. She should be helping ready breakfast for the army. That was one of her morning duties that she had to perform to keep her freedom. Ike took off his course, brown training shirt and let it drop to the ground near his pack. He then knelt down and began to rummage through his bag for one of the few shirts he had left. A weather-worn blue shirt was the first thing he grabbed. As Ike put it on he noticed that the sleeves were torn and frayed midway down his forearm. He rolled them up to his elbows and grabbed his long coat. Micaiah had been taking his usual red cape and wore it as her own. Today was no exception. Ike looked at his armor lying on the ground next to his pack. He thought for a minute before deciding that he wouldn't need it. The last thing he grabbed before he left was his headband.

Ike stepped back out into the crisp air, his breath causing steam to swirl around him. He headed towards the center of the camp where the meeting was to be held. As he walked he continued looking at the faces of his soldiers. The majority of them acknowledged his presence in some informal manner as he passed by. Its not that they were being disrespectful to him, it was what he had asked of them. He was a commander for a mercenary company. Being saluted and greeted formally wherever he went was not something Ike was used to or enjoyed. A simple nod of the head or wave of the hand was enough.

"Ike, wait up," a voice called from behind the mercenary. He turned to see Soren walking as fast as he could to catch up. He had several large record books along with numerous stacks of papers and a few scrolls balanced delicately in his hands. "I didn't have a chance to give you the scouting report yesterday. Would you like me to give you a brief overview of it right now?"

"Go ahead and tell me everything, unless it's the same as every other group's reports before this one," Ike joked sarcastically. "Here, let me give you a hand with those."

"Thanks," Soren said as his friend took the heaviest stuff from him. "And this report is slightly different from the others. Now, all of the other scouts reported no enemy activity in the area. They said that all Daein forces had pulled back to Nox Castle. For a full month nothing has happened. However, this last report says that Daein is on the move once more. This scouting party saw a small group of cavalry very near our camp, ten men to be exact. They were lightly armed and had extra horses with them. There is something really strange though. These soldiers were spotted on that road to the southeast, the one that Daein used to retreat during the skirmish a month ago. I checked every map I had and found that there was nothing down that road. There is no pass over the mountains and the road ends abruptly about six miles in."

"What about tunnels?" Ike asked suddenly. "Like the ones we used to escape into Goldoa? Are there any tunnels or caves in the mountains in that area?"

Soren's brow knitted as he attempted to remember the maps he had searched the night before. He shrugged after a minute. The two men walked in silent thought for a while before the raven haired mage continued telling Ike about the rest of the scouting report. Aside from the sighting of the Daein soldiers, there was little else left. The group had not discovered any alternate routes through the mountains nor had they picked up on any signs of a large force moving through the area. As Soren began to discuss the casualty situation a man bumped shoulders with Ike causing him to drop some of the record books he was holding in that arm. However, he and the other soldiers he was with continued walking as if nothing happened.

"Hey, you!" Soren shouted while pointing at the man he was talking to. The man turned around and glared back at the raven haired mage. "Come back here!" The soldier slowly walked back. "Pick up those books and apologize!"

The man was clad in the crimson armor of Begnion as were the men he had been walking with. He locked his eyes onto Ike's. He bent down and gathered up to large books on the ground. As he handed them to Ike he apologized and immediately turned to walk away. Soren was about to shout at him again when a large hand stopped him. The mage looked at his friend and shook his head.

"I guess not everyone likes you as much as Sanaki thought they did," Soren joked coldly.

"I can't exactly please everyone," Ike sighed as he started walking again. "A hero for one side is the villain to the other side."

"True, but we are all on the same side here," Soren's voice trailed off and the two men continued on in silence for a while. "How are you feeling by the way?"

"I feel perfectly fine," the mercenary responded slightly puzzled. "Why do you ask?"

"No, that's not what I meant."

"You mean that, right?" Ike asked nodding his head as he spoke. He sighed and figured that he should let his friend know the truth. "I still have nightmares. I hear that voice in my head from time to time. I get frequent headaches. You know how it was last time. My problems get worse as the medallion shines brighter. I'm not as sensitive as the laguz are to chaotic energy but it definitely has an affect on me."

Soren pondered what Ike said as they continued walking. They reached the large tent that served as the meeting room. Before either of them entered Soren grabbed hold of his friends arm. Ike gave the mage a confused look.

"Listen to me Ike," Soren began. "I know you probably won't listen to my advice, but at least humor me for now. The way you are living now isn't healthy. I've been living with you for years and in all that time I have not once seen you take a real break from fighting. That isn't good for your mental health. I think that some of these hallucinations and voices are in part due to the fact that you have never been out of a fight. You've seen more blood and death then any of us and I think it might be getting to you. We're all worried for you Ike."

"Alright, I hear you," was what Ike said but Soren still held onto his friend's arm. "Don't worry about me. When this is over we will take a year off and tour the continent. No fighting, no killing, just pure relaxation and peace. I promise."

Soren let his friend go. Ike never went back on his word. If he said that he was going to take a vacation to heal when this war had ended, then that was what he was going to do. The two men entered to tent to find that everyone had already gathered. The majority of the people were wandering aimlessly or chatting amongst themselves. However, Sanaki was seated in a large wooden chair with cushions on the seat and arms. She was the only one to have something to sit on. At all the other meetings everyone had stood around the table. Sigrun and Tanith were standing at attention behind Sanaki. The two women glanced at the other generals nervously. The small empress took no notice though. She merely sat there examining her finger nails while waiting for the meeting to begin. Soren glared at Sanaki but held his tongue when he felt Ike's hand on his shoulder. The two mercenaries walked over to the large table in the middle of the room and set their stuff down on it. Ike took his place at the head of the table with Soren at his right hand and Sanaki on his left.

Everyone began to gather around the table. The members attending the meeting were Tibarn representing the hawk laguz; Skrimir and Ranulf representing all feline laguz; and Kieran representing Crimea's forces. Sigrun, Tanith and Sanaki spoke on behalf of all of Begnion's forces. The meeting began with each representative providing an updated casualty report. Soren wrote down the number of soldiers that had recovered, died or were still unable to fight. When the raven haired mage finished his calculations he presented the numbers to everyone. Many of the wounded were dying from disease and the healthy were getting sick from the cold. Ike bit his lip as he looked over the numbers. It was bad that they were losing so many soldiers. At the rate they were going, they wouldn't stand a chance against the senators' armies waiting for them in Begnion. The only real positive news was that the pegasi had fully recovered from the oil that had been spilt on them and that reinforcements from Crimea had arrived. However, that small bit hardly made up for the number of soldiers that were dying daily from disease.

Soren moved the meeting along and presented everyone with the scouting reports that he had received over the past month. He spread out a large map of Daein on the table and placed a marker on every area that had been scouted. The mage then presented the information found in each location. When Soren began giving the report on the final marker on the map most of the other people assumed it was like all the others. The tactician placed a finger on the map and said that enemy troops had been spotted around that location. Everyone leaned in a little closer; anxious to find out what Daein might be scheming. Soren told the group that it was a small unit of cavalry with spare horses. He apologized immediately afterwards for the lack of information he had received. Everyone remained silent as they thought over the possible meaning of the sudden appearance of enemy troops. It was likely that they were just a scouting party or a group of deserters. However, Daein's last attack had left a lasting impression. Their sudden appearance and the amount of destruction they caused had not faded from anyone's memory. Skrimir let out an irritated growl that broke the silence.

"I hate these Daein cowards!" the lion yelled as he slammed his fist on the table causing it to shake. "You, little tactician! Why are we waiting around doing nothing? Why are we not fighting the enemy? Why are we not advancing?"

"I agree with General Skrimir," Sanaki suddenly spoke up. "I am tired of waiting around as well. I want to return home."

Kieran slammed his fists on the table and began to rant about how he too wished to fight once more. Sigrun and Tanith voiced their concern about the condition back in Begnion. They were mostly worried about how the senators were trying to further taint the apostle's image and fortify their hold on the empire. Ranulf tried to calm everyone down by asking them to be patient and to have faith in Soren's guidance. That did not go as well as the blue haired laguz had hoped as he was suddenly under assault from the two most hot headed members of the meeting. Ike only listened as Sigrun, Tanith and Sanaki began to voice their concerns for their homeland. Soren sighed as both Kieran and Skrimir turned their frustration on the three females from Begnion.

"That's enough!" Ike finally yelled when he couldn't listen to another word of the mindless arguing that was going on. "We cannot simply go charging through these mountain passes to fight an enemy that we can't find! We have absolutely no idea where Daein is right now!" Ike took a breath and continued on in a calm voice now that everyone else had mellowed out. "Now, I understand your impatience but we need information. Kieran, I know your men have no desire to be involved in this war when your country is still trying to regain a sense of balance after a near civil war. Skrimir, I can understand your frustration but you have to understand that charging head first into a fight is not always the best choice. You all remember Daein's ambush when they burned our troops at the bottom of the valley. I want to avoid a repeat of that incident. Empress Sanaki, I know you want to return home to your people but you need to understand the situation. We have to be very cautious with the soldiers we have because we don't know how large the enemy's army will be when we get to Begnion. If we lose too many men here then we may never be able to overthrow the senators. Now, is everyone ready to calmly discuss our next move against Daein?

"Actually, Ike I just noticed something," Soren said before anyone had a chance to speak. "You suggested that there might be caves in the mountains that Daein could have used to escape. Well, if you look at this map they really only have one place to go," the raven haired mage tapped a single spot on the map causing everyone to lean closer to read what was written there. "Nox Castle is the only fort in this area. There is no other place they could be. They are trying to defend their country with a considerably smaller army so I doubt that they would wander too far away from a position of strength. Plus, from a strategic point it makes a lot of sense to dig in at that point too. The only road to Begnion from here leads right past that castle and I can assume that the caves down the southern road that they took to escape a month ago end at Nox as well. It is now very clear what we must do. Nox is the next and last battlefield."

"Finally!" Skrimir shouted with excitement. "I'll go tell my men to prepare to move out."

"No, not today," Soren instructed the lion general. "It would take too long to pack everything. We wouldn't get very far today and that would only give Daein more time to prepare for our attack. I want everyone to prepare to move out by tomorrow. Skrimir, tell your men to get as much rest as possible today too."

"And why is that?" the laguz snapped in frustration. "Why do my men need extra rest?"

"It isn't just your men, Skrimir," the little tactician explained. "I need Tibarn's men to get as much rest as possible too. The reason being is that the laguz are going to march all day tomorrow and through the night. If we are lucky, the Daein scouts will only be keeping an eye on the main army and we will be able to slip past unnoticed. Laguz in general can move faster then beorc so in order to launch a quick attack we need your speed. That is why I need your men to be well rested."

The three laguz grinned with anticipation as they left to tell their soldiers the new orders. The remaining people waited for Soren to come up with a plan for them. It was Ike that spoke first though.

"I if we truly want to make Nox the final battlefield, then we can't let Daein escape from that castle," the mercenary thought out loud. "I need the rest of our army to be no more then five hours behind us. Your job will be to surround the castle and not let anyone escape. If Daein doesn't surrender you have permission to destroy them. If you are too late then it is very possible that we will have another battle. Do not fail me on this one. Tanith, you command the Begnion troops. Kieran, you are in charge of Crimea's army. Sigrun you will take command of the Holy Guard and make sure that Daein cannot escape through the air. We are weaving a very delicate web here and if any part of it is not prepared properly, we won't have total victory. Do you understand?"

They all confirmed that they had a full understanding of their task. The final four members of the meeting departed to prepare for the march the next day leaving Ike and Soren alone. The mercenary commander let out a sigh the second the last person had exited the tent. He ran a hand through his hair. Ike had wanted to avoid obliterating Daein and still hoped that this plan would prevent too many casualties. What he couldn't wrap his head around was why Daein would continue pushing for war. Their army was outclassed in every area. They lacked numbers and experienced commanders, aside from Micaiah and Tauroneo there was no one to effectively lead the army. The infantry was full of spirited young fighters but no real soldiers. Their draco knight division had young mounts with equally young riders, both of them lacked the power they needed and they had no chance to compete with the speed of the pegasus riders of Begnion. The cavalry was Daein's strongest point aside from their infantry. However, when compared to the Crimean knights who prided themselves on their horse riding abilities, Daein didn't stand a chance. Overall, Daein had an army full of potential that, if given the proper time and training, would be a devastating force but instead it is an army full of amateurs that never had a chance against professional soldiers.

"You know, Muston never gave us an update on our supply situation," Soren said absentmindedly. "I talked with him about that yesterday. He said that they were trying their best to get definite numbers for us but were having some issues. He said we might be missing some supplies."

"You think we have some soldiers trying to extra rations?" Ike asked barely interested. It was a common occurrence for supplies to go missing in a large army and nothing could be done about it unless the criminal was caught in the act. "I'll have the captains' talk to their men about it; let everyone know that we are aware of someone stealing from the army."

"Muston said it wasn't food that went missing," Soren explained. "He said that Begnion and Crimean uniforms went missing along with some weapons. Muston said that this isn't the first time this has happened, so it shouldn't be anything to worry about."

Ike rubbed the back of his neck and thought for a moment. It was true that equipment got misplaced all the time. Losing uniforms or weapons was something that just happened, but for some reason Ike couldn't help feeling nervous. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. There was something he was missing, but he was unable to grasp it. What was it?

"Ike! Hey Ike!" a voice called bringing the mercenary back to reality. In front of him was a breathless Ranulf. "Ike there's a fire in the camp! It's spreading everywhere!"

Ike and Soren quickly ran outside to confirm what Ranulf had said. What they saw was not what they had anticipated. There were multiple fires all over the camp. Soren ran off in the direction of the nearest blaze in hopes that his magic could be of aid. Ike growled slightly as the realization washed over him. Daein's attack had never been about winning. No, their attack last month was a rescue mission. The mercenary didn't even bother checking to see if he was right, he already knew he was. Micaiah was gone. She was gone and the rescue team set the camp on fire to buy themselves time for their escape. "Everyone listen to me!" Ike roared causing everyone who heard him to stop what they were doing. People nervously watched the fires spread. "Daein has been pushing for an open conflict! They have been harassing us! Now they are about to get something that they never wanted! We are going to march on Nox Castle and we will destroy them!" a cheer went up as Ike finished. "Salvage what supplies you can. Let the rest burn. We are traveling light."

"They took Micaiah didn't they?" Ranulf asked as he walked up behind his friend. Ike didn't answer. "Is it really such a good idea to attack then? I mean, are you okay with this? Micaiah is going to be in that castle too and to one of my men she will just be another enemy to slaughter. If we go in there, Micaiah won't be walking out."

"I'll protect her," Ike said calmly as he watched soldiers rushing back and forth to gather their gear. "My orders still haven't changed. I want Crimea and Begnion to encircle the castle while we flush Daein out. No one wants to die. When the Daein soldiers see that they are going to be killed, they will surrender. I won't crush Daein and I won't let Micaiah die. When I'm finished here, then I will take down the army waiting for us in Begnion."

"You really are an interesting guy," the cat joked as he patted Ike on the back. Ranulf sighed and suddenly took a serious tone. "Be careful though. You're shouldering a lot of weight there. You should share the load more evenly because one of these days you won't be strong enough to carry it. I don't want to see you get crushed trying to keep all of your crazy promises."

* * *

Micaiah sat behind a man in red armor on his horse. There were seven other soldiers, some of them in Begnion's armor and the others were wearing Crimean armor. They were fleeing down the south eastern road from the camp. Micaiah turned to see Ike's camp burning. She had lost count of how many times she had looked back. Every time she would feel the same regret and guilt in her gut. Her hands gripped Ike's red cape tightly, wringing any comfort she could get out of it. Micaiah peered around the rider in front of her and saw another troop of cavalry dressed in Daein's ebon armor.

"It's good to see that your team made it," one of the soldiers said as he rode forward to greet the oncoming group. "It is especially good to see you again Lady Micaiah. We were all worried that those bastards had you executed, but it seems our fears had no base."

"Save the reunion for later!" the man riding in front of Micaiah snapped. "Those sub-human beasts can move fast and so can the Begnion pegasus knights. If we want to get out of here we need to get to the caves!"

Micaiah found herself being lifted off of one horse and onto another. The rider in front of her kicked into the flanks of his mount and they were off at a gallop. Micaiah buried her face in the red fabric of Ike's cape. She didn't want to go back to the Daein army. She was done fighting. She was done leading. She was done being the heroine of Daein. If she didn't feel the obligation to help her country, she never would have agreed to return with these men. Now that she had though, she desperately wished she had never left the apostle's army. Micaiah kept her face buried until she felt the horse beneath her begin to slow its pace. She looked up and gasped at the sight before her. The mountains around the road had narrowed into a small valley. To her left was the entrance to a large cave. At the mouth of the cave were a vast number of wyverns and riders securing saddles onto their backs. A short distance into the cave there was a team of men working on the cave walls.

Micaiah found herself being helped off of her horse and led over to one of the wyverns. As she walked by Daein soldiers, they greeted her with a cheer. She felt like she was floating through a dream. Micaiah felt her body move of its own accord without her ever having to think about her actions. The wyvern rider helped her to climb up onto his mount's back. The man then climbed up behind her and took the reigns. Suddenly, there was a loud crack and the cave entrance began to collapse. The team of men working inside the cave rushed outside as fast as they could. Every man climbed up onto a wyvern of his own or with the rider. When everyone was ready they took to the skies.

Micaiah shuddered against the cold wind. She was headed back to the one place she never wanted to return to. She was going to be the general of the Daein army once again. Fighting Ike this time though, would be considerably different. She would not be able to strike him this time if he came to attack her. Micaiah prayed desperately for time to stop as she was flown through the mountain passes towards Nox Castle.

* * *

**I know it has been a long time people, but I'd really like to hear how I did after such a long absence. Leave any kind of comment be it some constructive criticism, praise, or if you didn't like it, a reason why you felt this wasn't any good. It's good to be back and I look forward to hearing from everyone.**


	24. Bitter Sweet Return

Hero and a Priestess

* * *

Micaiah sat on the back of a wyvern with its rider behind her. She had Ike's cape wrapped tightly around her. The sun had already set behind the mountains and the sky was darkening. The group of wyvern riders pressed their mounts onwards despite the approaching night. They had stopped to rest their mounts several hours before, but now it was a straight shot to Nox Castle. The group was headed north away from Daein's mountainous southern border and into the lowlands. Micaiah watched as they passed the final peak of the mountains. The terrain became almost completely flat and barren. It was coated in a white blanket of snow. As they flew further away from the mountains, Micaiah was able to make out clusters of trees that formed small forests. In the distance, there was a small patch of light shining brightly in the dark. As they got closer to the light, Micaiah could see that it was a castle and they began to descend. One of the men in front rose his hand up and a ball of flames shot into the air. The sphere exploded after it had flown a good distance above their heads. The sudden burst of light brightened the world enough for Micaiah to clearly make out the fast approaching outer wall of the castle.

The leader of the group began calling back to the other riders. It was time to land. Each rider pushed down on his wyvern, ordering it to descend. Micaiah could feel the sudden rush of the cold night air. Remembering her previous flying experience with Sigrun, the silver haired girl expected a much gentler landing then the one that actually took place. The sudden impact nearly jarred her from her seat atop the wyvern. The rider behind her quickly dismounted and then offered to help her down. Micaiah accepted his hand as she shakily stepped off of her high perch on the wyvern's back. The silver haired girl took several dainty steps to regain her balance. Suddenly, the entire group was bathed in light as the large wooden gates of the fort were swung open. Inside, there was a large crowd of people gathered to congratulate the return of the victorious rescue team.

A large roar erupted throughout the courtyard just beyond the outer wall as the wyvern riders lead their exhausted mounts into the fort. Next, the Daein spies that had infiltrated the apostle's camp and had stolen Begnion and Crimean uniforms cast off their disguises and rushed forward to greet their friends and fellow soldiers. The workers that had destroyed the cave leading through the mountains and the cavalry units that had left their horses behind were the next to enter the fort leaving Micaiah standing alone on the outside. She felt out of place watching as everyone around her celebrated the success of their mission. She cast a backwards glance there was nothing behind her but the black of night. Micaiah turned back around to see that everyone was now watching her. They all had the same expectant face. She knew that they were waiting for her to walk into the fort and thank them for their efforts. Still, she hesitated in taking her first step forward. Micaiah looked back again. There was no one to stop her if she ran into the night. If she wanted to, she could escape into the darkness. Micaiah closed her eyes, took a deep breath and prepared to run back down the road towards the apostle's army and Ike.

"Micaiah!" a cheerful voice called from within the fort. She whirled around to see Edward rushing towards her with a massive grin on his face. Behind him the other members of the Dawn Brigade were all coming out to greet her. "Micaiah I'm so glad to see you again! I'm so happy that we got you back! Oh, I like the new red cape," the swordsman commented as he examined Ike's cape. "Red is my favorite color too. Hey look, everyone else is here to say hi."

Edward began pushing the silver haired girl forward to greet all of her friends. Tauroneo, clad in his traditional white armor, was the first to come forward to shake her hand. However, Laura and Meg quickly rushed over and hugged Micaiah. Leonardo and Volug, who was in his half shifted state, were the next pair to welcome the silver haired girl back. The blond archer greeted her with a smile before hugging her tightly. The wolf laguz wagged his tail as Micaiah patted him on the head. Fiona welcomed Daein's savior back and shook her hand. Nolan walked forward looking the least pleased to see her out of anyone in the group. He pulled Micaiah into a tight hug.

"Why did you come back?" the older man whispered in her ear. "Why didn't you stay with Ike? You would have been happier at his side. You would not have had to worry about a dying country. You should have stayed with Ike and forgotten about us."

Micaiah pushed Nolan away from her surprised that he could have ever said such a thing to her. He gave her a sad smile as he patted her silver head. The ax wielder walked over and joined the group of people that had already greeted Micaiah. Finally, Sothe stepped forth. Micaiah almost took a step backwards. The Sothe before her was incredibly pale. He had not fully recovered from his fight with Ike, but he was alive. The rogue smiled at first. When he noticed Ike's cape draped around Micaiah's shoulders he lost all signs of joy. Sothe walked forward and gave Micaiah a hug nonetheless. She could feel anger and resentment towards Ike coursing through the rogue's body. She quickly pulled out of Sothe's embrace. Micaiah pulled the red cape more tightly around her and nervously clutched the fabric in her right hand. She feared that Sothe might try and take it from her. Nolan, sensing that something bad was about to happen quickly intervened.

"Micaiah, you must be tired," the older man suggested as he stepped between her and Sothe. "A room has been prepared for you. Volug, why don't you take her there? Well Micaiah, good night and we will all see you tomorrow. Oh right, before I forget, King Pelleas says that he wants to speak to you as soon as possible. He didn't expect to meet with you tonight so go get some rest. You can talk to him tomorrow."

"Thank you Nolan." Micaiah replied half-heartedly as she slowly entered the fort, surrounded by her friends. "Could I get something to eat before I retire for the night?"

"You don't have to worry about that." Tauroneo answered in place of the ax-wielder. "Someone has already prepared a meal for you and it should be waiting in your room. Also, we had your outfit retailored. We didn't expect it to survive your captivity and since that outfit has become your recognized attire as our general, we needed it to be restored. It is waiting for you up in your room."

Micaiah thanked everyone, trying her best to keep up a smile and an enthusiastic tone so as not to upset anyone. Still, they noticed her change in behavior and told her to just get some rest. She was thankful for their ignorance towards her emotions and how they blamed exhaustion for the shift. Nolan took upon himself to escort Micaiah to her room. She was thankful to him for that since he seemed to grasp her situation better than the others did. He led her to the top floor of the fort. Her room was one of four on that level. She assumed that at least one of the others belonged to Pelleas and another one was for meetings. Nolan opened the door for her and left after she had entered her new room. Micaiah looked around at the vast amount of space she had. There was a large fireplace against the far wall with a fire crackling inside of it. A table and four chairs were set up in front of the fire. On the table she saw the meal that had been prepared for her. Fresh poultry with bread and cheese, none of them were in small portions either. Also on the table was a pitcher filled with water and a bottle. Micaiah assumed the bottle to be filled with a wine of some sort.

The silver haired girl sat down in front of her food but hesitated. She thought back to the way Ike had eaten. His meals always consisted of whatever his men were eating. Micaiah almost pushed her plate away but figured that it would be a waste not to eat what had been given to her. Before she had a chance to start, someone started knocking on the door. Without waiting for a reply, the person on the other side entered.

"Sorry to bother you so late, Micaiah, but I figured that you might need someone to talk to after what you've been through." The silver haired girl sat stunned at the grey haired swordsman standing before her. Zihark had practically been a ghost since their first encounter with the Greil Mercenaries, he didn't interact with anyone. "So I take it you and Ike had a pretty good time together."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well it could be because you're wearing his cape." Zihark responded with a smile as Micaiah's face reddened slightly. "Ike isn't the kind of guy who gives his clothes away freely and that cape, from what I understand, belonged to his father so it's pretty special to him." Zihark walked over to where Micaiah was sitting and sat down in a chair across the table from her. "Listen, Nolan's right."

"What are you saying?" Micaiah jumped up suddenly, knocking her chair over in the process. "Are you telling me to run away and abandon everyone here?"

"Yes I am." Zihark responded with a straight face and a stern voice. Micaiah faltered, righted her chair and sat back down. "I know it isn't something that you want to willingly do but I know it is for the best. Wait to hear all of what I have to say before you respond, alright?" Once Zihark received the nod of approval he was looking for he continued. "I'm sure you noticed this, Ike's power. For some reason once you get to know that man you never want to do any harm to him. I wasn't very close to him but when it came time for me to raise my sword against him back at the river, I couldn't do it. He was kind enough to spare my life too by stabbing my shoulder. It gave me a reason to leave the battlefield so that my doubt wouldn't get me killed. If it hadn't been for him, I would probably have died that day."

"I don't quite get what you're trying to tell me." Micaiah whispered as she turned her head to the dying fire. "What does this have to do with me?"

"You're a terrible liar." Zihark stated flatly. "You know full well what I'm telling you. I'm saying that you will get a lot of people killed when Ike comes to take this castle!" Micaiah slumped down in her chair knowing that what she was being told was the truth. "You will hesitate to give orders because you feel like you would be betraying Ike. That will get Daein soldiers killed, although this castle is already like a tomb for us. Once Ike comes, there won't be any escaping this place. You realize that we would have a better chance fleeing through the mountains, don't you?"

Micaiah nodded her head slightly. She didn't turn her gaze away from the smoldering embers in the fire place. She didn't want to see what kind of expression her friend was wearing. One way or another, she would have to betray someone. The question was who should she abandon? Should she really leave her homeland, a country she had fought so hard to free, to inevitable doom that awaited it? Should she betray Ike and drag out this war costing thousands of people their lives? Which was the right choice?

"You aren't going to have us run are you?" Zihark finally asked. Micaiah didn't respond. The swordsman stood up, walked over to the silver haired girl and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about this whole mess Micaiah. When Ike comes, he'll straighten this situation out. I don't know how but I'm sure he has a plan. Ike isn't the kind of guy who would wipe an entire country off the map like Begnion would. He may not know what's going on but he has probably figured out that we're being used as a shield for the senate. Ike won't kill an innocent shield. Unless he's changed drastically."

Zihark took his hand from Micaiah shoulder and placed it in his pocket. He walked over to the fire place and grabbed a few logs from the stack of wood by the side of it. He threw them on the fire and watched as the flames sprang to life once again. With a sigh, the swordsman turned to leave. Just as he placed his hand on the door handle Micaiah called out to him.

"Thank you. I know what I need to do now. I'll save as many of us as I can and leave the senate to Ike."

"What exactly are you going to do?" Zihark asked, curious as to what he could have said that gave the girl before him an idea.

"Well, when you mentioned that Ike spared your life back at the river I thought that maybe we could replicate that situation." Micaiah explained, hoping that her plan sounded plausible to someone else. "If we get put into a position where we have no choice but to surrender, then it will look like we tried our best to stop the Apostle and Begnion won't be able to activate the blood pact. So, I was thinking of keeping our forces in this castle and have us keep retreating until we have no where else to run. Then we surrender and let Ike and the Apostle's army take down the senate in Begnion. Do you think that will work?"

"One can only hope," Zihark responded with a dry smile. "Eat up and get some sleep. Tomorrow you will be setting the stage for this little play. Don't forget that you're the leading heroine in this story."

"Except I'm no heroine," Micaiah corrected with a genuine smile. "I'm Daein's Priestess of Light."

"That's right, you are. You're the distressed priestess who is trying to protect her people and Ike is the gallant hero who will save us all from the clutches of evil men. This will be quite the show. I only hope I can survive to see the happy ending. Like I said earlier, this is going to be tough so eat up and get to sleep. I'm giving us about two days to prepare before Ike shows up. Good night and good luck tomorrow morning in your meeting with the king."

Micaiah listened as Zihark's footsteps disappeared down the hallway. He was right. There was no need to betray anyone. As long as they could stage a convincing surrender in a hopeless situation, Begnion would probably not invoke the curse of the blood pact. That way Daein would survive, though severely damaged. Micaiah felt, for the first time in a long time, that everything was going to work out, somehow, in the end. She ate until she was content and was about to go straight to bed when something caught her attention. A washstand with a bowl of water and a mirror had been prepared for her. Micaiah examined her dirty appearance in the mirror. Dipping a towel into the water she began to scrub the filth from her body, stripping off whatever clothing was covering the next part of her body that needed to be cleaned. When she had finished, Micaiah stood in a pile of her own clothes. She picked Ike's cape up from the floor and wrapped it tightly around her shoulders to ward off the cold air as she made her way to her new bed.

Micaiah pulled back the clean sheets and slid between them. The bed felt so large and empty to her. She curled up like a ball. She kept hold of Ike's cape, snuggling with the tattered red fabric. Despite the fact that it was dirty and the material was very course, it comforted the silver haired girl. It put her mind at ease. Micaiah grabbed one of the pillows and hugged it, imagining that she was sleeping on a pile of furs with Ike by her side.

* * *

"Ike!" A voice called out from the chaotic sounds of the mobilized army. A man rode up to the mercenary and dismounted. "I have a report on the damage from Daein's attack earlier. The supplies that were burned consisted mostly of our food stores and medical supplies. Our estimated reports say that we only have enough food to last another week and a half. The medical supplies, well, there isn't enough left to treat our current wounded."

"Alright, return to your unit," Ike ordered. The mercenary let the information wash over him, wondering how best to deal with his bad situation. "Titania."

"Yes commander, what is it?"

"I'm leaving you in charge here," the woman looked astonished at Ike's words. "Leave the medical staff and wounded in charge of salvaging supplies from the camp. Tell the Crimean forces to approach Nox from the west. Begnion forces will approach from the east. Both groups are to leave at dawn tomorrow."

"What about you?"

"I will be leading the laguz forces to Nox tonight! We will rest tomorrow during the day and at night, we will launch our attack. Make sure that the Crimean and Begnion armies are in place on the morning of the second day."

"Yes sir."

Ike began walking towards the middle of the camp where the fires were still being put out. The mercenary climbed up onto several wooden crates and observed as soldiers rushed about trying to quell the remaining flames.

"Everyone listen up!" Ike's voice boomed out across the camp silencing everyone who heard it. "All able bodied laguz soldiers must be ready to move out within twenty minutes! We will hunt down the bastards who have done this to us! We will have revenge on those that killed our friends! We will force Daein into submission! Then we will march on Begnion and crush the senate!"

A frenzied cry rose up from beorc and laguz alike as Ike stepped down. He watched as his soldiers became more energized and passionate. They were ready to fight, ready to kill. Ike only hoped that he would be able to prevent that passion from utterly destroying Daein.

* * *

**Alright, the story is moving right along once again. Sorry for not uploading anything in a while. I was really busy at the end of the year but now things have settled down and I should have a lot more time for writing. That's all I have for now. Read, rate and review. Any commentary or criticism is welcomed just as long as you write something.**


	25. Path of War

Hero and a Priestess

* * *

"Micaiah, it's good to see you alive and well once again." Pelleas greeted the Daein general as she entered into the meeting room. Sothe and Tauroneo were already waiting. King Pelleas was seated on a throne atop a small set of stairs. "Oh, Micaiah, did we have the color of your mantle changed? If I remember correctly it was supposed to be blue, but you're wearing a red one. Actually, that thing seems pretty worn too."

"Oh this?" Micaiah affirmed the king's question by touching Ike's cape. "It is a very dear item to me that helped me get through my time in captivity. If your majesty doesn't mind, I would like to continue wearing it."

Micaiah glanced over at Tauroneo and Sothe. The older knight gave her a disapproving glance while Sothe's eyes burned at the sight of the red fabric. Pelleas nodded and began to describe how his research into the blood pact had been going. He explained the number of books he read through, how many different libraries he visited around the country and all the various rumors he had listened to. All of them had led to mixed and uncertain results. However, recently, the king said he had found a book at this castle. Pelleas described the contents of the book to be nothing short of disturbing. It was an evil book filled with nothing but curses, poisons and methods for torture. The king explained that it was in this book that he had found the true secrets of the blood pact.

"Please understand my position when I ask this favor of you." Pelleas started as he prepared his subordinates for the task he was about to ask of them. "I want one of you to kill me." Micaiah and Tauroneo protested immediately while Sothe listened quietly. "Listen to all I have to say. The only way to break this blood pact is for a neutral third party to kill the pact maker. My death would end this war right here and now! I'm the one who put my citizens into this situation in the first place; it is my duty to do whatever I can to save them. Micaiah, your kindness has always astounded me. I've always been amazed by you ever since we first met. Your beauty, your gentle nature, everything about you."

"W-what are you saying?" the silver haired girl asked, startled by the king's sudden advance on her.

"I want you to be the one to kill me," Pelleas smiled at Micaiah as he presented a knife to her. "Kill me and then end this senseless bloodshed. I know you can do it."

Micaiah froze as the knife was placed in her hand. It felt incredibly heavy in her hand. She stared at the cold steel blade only to see her eyes reflected back at her. The silver haired girl clutched the handle of the knife tightly but did not move to kill her king. She thought about alternate options. Micaiah stood there while the other men in the room watched her do nothing.

"I guess it was too much to ask of you," Pelleas sighed as he took back the knife from Micaiah's hands. "General Tauroneo, this is my final order to you: kill me."

Micaiah watched as Pelleas handed the knife over to the older general. She wasn't hearing any of the words they exchanged, all she could think about how wrong the situation was all of a sudden. If all Pelleas had to do was die at the hands of a third party and the pact would be broken, then why had he gone through all the trouble of rescuing her? What was to point of having so many Daein soldiers die in the initial diversion? Why did she have to become the new leader of Daein? These thoughts raced through Micaiah's head as she watched Pelleas say his final good-byes to Tauroneo. Then, it hit her. Pelleas had no confidence that his solution to their problems would actually work. He was trying to escape the situation.

Micaiah was brought back to reality as King Pelleas placed a hand on her shoulder and said his dying wish to her. She wasn't listening to anything he was saying though. Still, she couldn't find the strength to move. Her eyes followed Tauroneo's arm as he drew it back to strike. Sothe turned his head away, not wanting to witness the king's sacrifice for his country. Micaiah finally found the courage to move. She sprang forward and pushed Pelleas out of the way as knife's blade shredded Ike's cape.

"Micaiah!" a simultaneous cry erupted from all three men.

The silver haired girl stood up and took deliberate steps towards Pelleas. She felt truly angry that she had helped to put such a cowardly man on the throne. Sothe asked Micaiah if she was injured but she ignored him. Instead she grabbed a fistful of Pelleas's robe and glared at him. He could only stare back at her in surprise.

"Don't give up so easily." Micaiah ordered, holding back the anger she felt inside. "What do you think your death would accomplish? Do you honestly believe that killing yourself would solve our problems?" Pelleas lowered his eyes in shame. "I can't believe you. We're all suffering here. We all wish this didn't have to happen, but you are the only one who is trying to run away from it. You have friends and family here to rely on. What do you think would happen to them if you died? You would be putting another weight on everyone's shoulders. Find a different solution that doesn't require self sacrifice."

Micaiah let go of Pelleas and turned to leave. She didn't acknowledge any of the king's thanks. Once she was outside of the meeting room and the door was closed behind her, she let out a stifled cry. Tears began to drop from her eyes. Pelleas's assisted suicide attempt reminded her just how depressing Daein's situation really was.

"Ike's cape seems to have a special ability." Micaiah quickly tried to wipe the tears from her eyes as she turned to see Sothe standing beside her. Before she could do anything, he pulled the silver haired girl into a tight embrace. "I was really scared when you jumped up like that. I'm just glad that the only thing that got cut was this stupid cape and not you. Remember, Micaiah, that I am always right here beside you. I will always be here to protect you from anyone."

Similar words coming from Sothe's mouth had comforted her once, but now, Micaiah felt uneasy hearing them. They chilled her body with a sense of fear. She twisted in his embrace, trying to get away. The rouge held the girl in his arms tighter the more she struggled.

"Sothe, let go of me." Micaiah cried as Sothe squeezed her so tightly it was becoming painful.

"I want things to go back to the way they were," he spoke into her ear in a quiet voice. "Just the two of us. No one else. Don't you want that Micaiah? Don't you want to live out the rest of your life with just me?"

"I want you to let go of me, that's what I want right now." Micaiah gasped as she struggled harder to free herself.

The silver haired girl pushed with all her might against the rogue's chest and immediately found herself falling. She collided with the hard stone floor, surprised and unsure of how she had even gotten to where she was. Micaiah glanced up to see Sothe storming off towards the stairs. She almost felt like going after him out of habit but refrained from doing so. The door from the meeting room opened up and Tauroneo stepped outside. The older general asked Micaiah if she was alright. She immediately got up and said that she had merely tripped. Pelleas came out behind the white armored knight and graciously thanked Micaiah for straightening him out. He shook her hand vigorously before heading off to continue research on the blood pact. With the minor crisis averted, Micaiah breathed a slight sigh of relief. Still, Sothe's actions loomed ominously in the back of her mind. She pondered the rogue's behavior, wondering what the root of his change might be. Ike immediately came to the forefront of her thoughts. The silver haired girl nearly smacked herself as the obviousness of Sothe's actions washed over her. He must be feeling threatened by Ike's sudden intrusion into his personal life. Sothe's entire existence was on the brink of disappearing and he felt like he couldn't do anything about it. Micaiah, with her newest epiphany, quickly set off in the direction that she had seen Sothe leave. She hoped that she could mend the situation. The last thing she wanted now was to lose a close friend.

* * *

"So, Ike, what's the plan this time?" a concerned cat asked as he walked alongside the mercenary general.

"Plan?" the large man muttered as he mulled over the possibilities in his mind. "It is going to be something like this: I, along with an elite team that you will assemble, will scale the fort's walls and open the gates. Simple as that. Of course I want a forward scout team to go and observe the times at which the guards change shifts tonight. That way our team tomorrow night will know when we can move and when we need to hide. After that, the assault begins at dawn. Our objective in this fight is going to be to push the enemy into a corner and force them to surrender. I'm hoping to keep casualties to a minimum, but seeing the way Daein's been fighting up to now I doubt that's going to happen."

"And what about Micaiah?" Ranulf asked timidly. Ike stiffened noticeably at the mention of the reestablished general's name. The two men walked in silence for a time before Ike opened his mouth with a response.

"I will take her back. That means I'm going to lead the charge on this one. Otherwise she might get caught up in the fighting. Once I have Micaiah the remainder of the Daein forces should fall apart pretty quickly just like they did when I captured her the first time. Now, you have a job to do. Go find me twenty of your finest soldiers. I want soldiers that can fight in their unshifted forms though. They won't be able to climb the outer walls in their cat forms and the light from when they shift will only draw unwanted attention. Can you do that for me?"

Ranulf let out a sigh as he remembered the last time he had assembled an elite infiltration team. Zelgius had annihilated everyone. The blue haired cat closed his eyes as he thought of potential candidates for the job. His ear twitched and he opened his different colored eyes as he completed his list. The cat dashed off without a word to his friend to collect the needed soldiers. Ike watched the light blue tail of the laguz disappear in the crowd of marching troops. The mercenary glanced around at the thousands of laguz warriors around him. He wondered for a while about how he had gotten into this war in the first place. Ranulf had come to him, asking if he and the Greil Mercenaries would help lead a campaign against the mighty Begnion Empire and he agreed because Ranulf was his friend. Now, he was fighting to liberate a country overflowing with corruption. Ike sighed as he continued to march. He was amazed at how quickly a conflict spread throughout his known world and he was the one leading it. Ike's mind wandered back to the issue with the medallion. He had been feeling its effects more and more with each passing day. Ranulf said during the Mad King's War that the chaotic energy feels eerie and thick. Ike grinned slightly at this. He felt the opposite way. It felt freeing and empowering to the mercenary.

The smile quickly faded from the man's face. It was that same chaotic energy that evoked his hellish nightmares of endless combat with the men he had already killed. That energy gave a voice to the chaos in his mind. Ike did his best to put these thought out of his mind. He didn't want to remember the constant battles he fought in his sleep. The more he tried though, the more vivid his memories of the past became. Ike covered his face with one hand, wondering if talking with someone about the hell he endured each night would help. Micaiah's soothing voice and comforting hands came to his mind immediately. The mercenary remembered the brief period that he had been together with the silver haired girl. He remembered how she would whisper comforting words in the dark and hold tightly onto him until he calmed down again. Micaiah probably never realized he was awake for part of that.

"General Ike, sir." A soldier's voice brought Ike back into reality. "Our scouting parties have reported no Daein activity in the area. Also, our front most forces are leaving the mountain range as we speak. Reports are that the land between here and Nox Castle are very open and flat. There are clumps of forest to the northeast of the fort but those are few. Our scouts say that the enemy will see our advance long before we ever arrive at the front gate."

"Are there enough forested areas to conceal our entire army, in your opinion?" Ike asked wondering about how to proceed.

"Sir?" the cat laguz asked, surprised that the general was asking for his advice. "Well sir, I would say that there is enough vegetation to hide about half of our forces but we'd be scattered all over the place. From what I was told by the scouts, none of the forested areas are near the walls. Our army would still have to cross a large distance to reach the gates."

"That's fine," Ike responded as he thought for a moment. "Alright, spread the word that we are to double our pace. We need to be in a position to move into those safety areas by tonight. Go soldier."

Ike took a deep breath. No matter how many times he led a raid, it still made him nervous. This one though, would be far more important than any other he had ever been apart of. The success of tomorrow night would determine whether the war ended the following day or if it would drag out longer. Micaiah's safety also weighed heavily on Ike's mind. She would be the furthest from the initial fighting that much was certain. It is when Daein starts their retreat and the front lines are skewed is when Micaiah will be in the most danger.

Ike did his best to suppress the restless worrying thoughts in his mind as he hurried to be at the front of the army. He wanted to see the landscape for himself and determine which portion of the army would hide in which location. The mercenary quickly found himself out of the confined areas of the mountain valleys and in a vast plain. Just as was reported, there was little cover to conceal an army in. From what he could see, there were small clumps of trees scattered everywhere. He really would have to break up the army more so than he had imagined. Ike began thinking of how he could coordinate a single, effective attack while everyone was scattered around in hiding.

"Ike, I've gathered the team you requested," Ranulf suddenly appeared next to his old war time friend. "Plus I took the liberty of assembling a scout team for tonight's mission. Also, Tibarn wanted me to let you know that he has Janaff working on an appropriate stopping point so that our army won't be visible from Nox."

"Thanks, that's a bigger help than you could imagine right now." Ike replied feeling a slight weight lift from his shoulders. "Could you ask Janaff to search for additional forested areas where the army could hide until it is time for the attack? Oh and one more thing, can you think of any way to signal an attack to our troops even if they are scattered everywhere?"

"I can tell you the way we laguz communicate over long distances," the cat gave a toothy grin as he started explaining. "It's far from secretive and nowhere near stealthy, but that just isn't our style. We use an echo call. In this case, you would start off by yelling as loud as you can to signal the attack. After that, you will hear that cry carried up into a frenzied roar by every laguz in the area. It will scare every Daein soldier in that fort to death. Of course that also gives them time to prepare for the main force to arrive but hey, that's the tradeoff." Ike jogged along in near silence as he thought over the situation once again. Ranulf observed his friend for a while before speaking up in a playful voice. "I bet that Micaiah missed you so much that there's going to be a huge feast waiting for us when we get to Nox. Then you can openly confess your love for her and take all that pent up lust to the bedroom!"

Ike chuckled slightly at the cat's fanaticized scenario. The mercenary was glad that his friend could put his mind at ease and take his attention off of the seriousness of the real world. Ike simply listened as Ranulf rambled about all of the delicious foods that would be available for consumption. The mercenary wanted to enjoy this moment because he knew that they could be gone at any moment. War is like that though. Everyone had grown accustomed to the idea that the person marching beside them might not be there at the end of the day. Ike only hoped that he could protect the most dear people to him from any harm.

* * *

**And so it goes. I'm rolling right along here. I'm glad I have time to write again. Anyways, you people know the drill here. I want any feedback no matter what it might be. Don't worry about criticizing my work. I have thick skin and comments that are critical can help further improve my work. Don't be shy people. Comment.**


	26. Taking Nox

Hero and a Priestess

* * *

**I'm sorry that I've been absent for so lon****g. I really am. I've just been busy with my life and have been short on time. Anyways, the point is that I've got another chapter up! Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing.**

Micaiah ran down the many hallways of Nox Castle, the sound of her boots reverberating off of the stone walls. She was searching for Sothe, hoping that she could explain herself to him and salvage the close relationship they once shared. She checked every place she could think of. She searched in the fort's mess hall, armory, library and training grounds. The silver haired girl asked soldiers and any member of the Dawn Brigade she came across if they had seen Sothe, but most told Micaiah that they either had not seen him that day or hadn't seen him since breakfast in the early morning. Micaiah was getting disheartened. She didn't want there to be any bad blood between her and Sothe or, even worse, animosity between Sothe and Ike. Micaiah knew that Sothe was already after Ike, her only hope was to quell some of the anger that the rogue harbored towards his old friend.

"Lady Micaiah, ma'am!" a soldier called as he approached the small girl. He held a small stack of papers in one hand. "Here is the total count of our soldiers and supplies as well as detailed maps of this castle and the surrounding areas. It appears that we have an excess number of cavalry units. They will prove to be nearly useless if they are forced to fight within the walls of this castle, but they won't be very effective in general because of the coming winter storms. The general consensus from the officers is that a portion of the cavalry be retrained as ground forces while the rest of them are kept in wait in case the opportunity for a counter charge arises."

"That- that sounds like a fine plan. Go back and let the other officers know that I approve of their plan," Micaiah was about to turn to leave when the soldier handed her the papers he was carrying. She took them and gave the man a sheepish smile for nearly forgetting to take the reports. "Thank you. I will look these over right away. Was there anything else?"

"Yes Ma'am. General Tauroneo authorized several scouting parties to depart from the castle."

Micaiah dismissed the soldier and let out a sigh. She desperately wished she could simply surrender. In fact, she would gladly lend the Apostle and her army the aid of the Daein forces if the blood pact that Pelleas accidently signed wouldn't slowly kill her entire country. Right now though, she felt like running away to a far away place where all these problems wouldn't find her. Micaiah knew she couldn't do that; it wouldn't be fair to her friends, her country and all the people that placed their faith in her. Slowly, the young Daein general made her way to the fort's library. She needed a quiet place to focus.

Upon arriving at her destination, Micaiah sat down at one of the many long wooden tables. She placed the stack of papers she had been given earlier down next to her and began looking them over. The first few were simply head counts and inventory, but as Micaiah began reading more of the reports about the army's recent activity she noticed that the majority of the orders had been made by either Sothe or General Tauroneo. The silver haired girl read more in depth into the issued orders and noticed that most of them involved troop movements, mission assignments and the later parts of the rescue mission. Micaiah wondered who devised the plan to get her out of captivity in the first place. Was it Sothe or Tauroneo? Micaiah wasn't sure she really wanted to know the answer or the reasons. She folded her arms on the table and rested her head on them. Again, she wished for this complicated mess to just be over and done with. Micaiah closed her eyes and before long she was dozing peacefully.

* * *

Ike sat with his back resting against a tree. A large number of laguz around him were sleeping or resting. A few warriors stood watch. The cluster of trees they were hiding in was one of the few disturbances on an otherwise barren plane. Ike closed his eyes hoping to get some sleep before it was time to move out again. Tonight was the infiltration mission and tomorrow was going to be the assault on Nox Castle. He needed to rest but for some reason he just couldn't sleep. He looked around and noticed that most of the laguz, who at first glance appeared to be resting peacefully, were in fact twitching and growling in their sleep. The Chaos was getting to them and even though Ike couldn't feel it in the same way they could, he knew it was affecting him too. Compared to the laguz his symptoms were far less noticeable, but he knew what was going on inside his mind and body.

"Hey Ike, can't sleep?" a familiar voice called from up in the tree. The mercenary looked up to see Ranulf looking down at him from a branch up the tree. "Me neither. And I think I speak for every laguz when I say that this atmosphere is far too uncomfortable to rest in. Well, there isn't much any of us can do about that since we are in a war. Speaking of Chaos, I wonder how the herons are doing maintaining the seal on the medallion."

"I'd assume that they're doing fine since the dark god hasn't awakened yet and this conflict has gone on longer then the Mad King's War did," Ike reasoned. "Well not this fight specifically, but the uprising in Daein, the rebellion in Crimea, the war against Begnion and now this conflict with the Senate and Daein. Anyways, quiet down and try to sleep. You have a mission tonight too you know."

"Yeah I know. I have to help coordinate the initial offensive move and direct the reserve forces into a defensive position so as to not allow Daein to escape. In other words, I'm the most vital part to ending this war. Yeah, no pressure."

"Good to know that you understand, now get some sleep."

"Sir, yes sir," Ranulf responded in a mocking tone as he rolled over onto his back.

Ike closed his eyes once more, and after some time, drifted off to sleep. Before he knew it, someone was shaking him awake. Dark clouds covered the sky and a violent wind rushed across the plane. The day was not yet up, but with the sun swallowed up by the coming storm it might as well be night. Ike got to his feet and grabbed Ragnell off the ground. He slung the sheath over his back. The mercenary scanned the branch above to see if his feline friend was still hanging around. However, there was no sign of Ranulf so Ike set off to find him. Ike didn't have to look far to find the laguz captain and with him were ten other warriors, all of them cats.

"So this is tonight's attack team?"

"That's correct," Ranulf chirped. He then leaned in and added in a whisper, "They are all very talented at being unseen and silent but are less reliable in a fight than some of the other warriors might be. Just thought you should know ahead of time."

"That's why I'm going," Ike whispered back. "I'm the fighter. Besides, we aren't trying to get into a fight. We want to get in there without any of the Daein patrols being aware of our presence."

"Then this should be perfect!" the cat exclaimed as he clapped Ike on the back. "You had better get going then. It's dark enough now. Plus if you wait too long it's going to start snowing hard. Make as much progress as you can before the storm hits, this one feels like it's going to be a nasty one. It's going to be tough moving forward even for us laguz."

Ike thanked the cat for the advice and acted on it. He ordered his men into a single file line with three feet between them. With his team assembled and ready, the group headed in the direction of Nox. They moved at a brisk pace across the frozen landscape, the wind blowing in their faces. They had only just begun their long trek when snow started falling from the sky; in small white flurries at first which quickly turned into near blizzard conditions. The entire group was having an incredibly difficult time fighting against the wind that was trying to push them back two steps for every one they took. The snow piled up quickly, making travel even harder and slower. The visibility dropped considerably, everything beyond a few feet looked like a white and black blur. Still, by some incredible will, the group managed to inch forward towards their goal.

The laguz behind Ike grabbed the mercenary's shoulder and warned him of the smell of beorc on the wind. Ike pressed on with the knowledge that there were potential Daein patrols outside of the fort. The group traveled for a long while before even Ike could smell the smoke from a torch blowing towards them. Soon an orange orb appeared in the darkness. Ike motioned for all his soldiers to get down. Everyone dropped into the snow and lay in wait. A foot patrol of five men walked within feet of Ike's team, completely oblivious that an enemy was lying on the ground next to them. Before the last man could pass Ike got up, placed him in a choke hold and dragged him to the ground. The four remaining Daein soldiers, who weren't even aware that one of their comrades was being suffocated, didn't stand a chance as the ten laguz took them out from behind. After a short struggle, Ike and his men continued onwards leaving the five bodies behind.

The group traveled for hours taking occasional breaks when fighting the wind and snow had worn them out. When the storm began to die down though, Ike pushed his team to make better time towards Nox. Before long, the Daein castle came into view on the horizon, a shining beacon in an otherwise dark land. The well lit fortress marked the beginning of the more difficult part of that night's mission. Ike called for a quick break so that they could rest up before the final sprint towards the castle wall. After some time had passed, he got the laguz up and moving again. The group charged straight across the frozen, snow covered field as best they could. Still partially concealed by the swirling snowfall, Ike and his team made it to the base of the wall without detection.

"Alright, let's go over this once more so we don't have any mistakes," Ike whispered to the laguz around him. "We need to get up and over this wall, avoid alerting the guards of our presence and open the gates so that our army can march into the castle. If you run into an enemy, take him our silently! That means no transforming while we're inside the castle either. Your transformations give off light. Light makes us easy to detect. Now, I don't know how much time has gone by tonight, but I've got a feeling that dawn is fast approaching. Our armies should already be on the move which means we need to be ready to give them the signal at first light. Let's go!"

Ike placed his fingers within the grooves between the massive slabs of stone that made up the outer wall. Immediately, all of the warmth rapidly drained from his hands. The mercenary began to climb and the laguz followed his lead. It was tiresome work, groping for tiny hand and foot holds in the dark with clumsy, numb hands while the wind tried to rip them off the face of the wall. Ike climbed; hand over hand, until he finally pulled himself over the top and onto the walkway atop the outer wall. The mercenary quickly looked around to gather in his surroundings. There were a few sentries patrolling the grounds, one man stationed to every door leading into the castle, and hardly anyone manning the wall. There was a sizable bit of open ground immediately followed by a higher level with stairs on the eastern and western walls. After that, there was a flight of stairs in the center leading to a second level. There was a third beyond that as well before the main entrance to Nox. Four heavy weapons, two on the first level and two on the second level, faced the gate. The defenses were light, even if Daein didn't have a large force, this was pitiful.

None of the guards had noticed the intruders as the last of the laguz was helped up to join the rest of the team. Ike quickly moved everyone down off the wall and into the shadows at its base. He let them warm their numb limbs from the climb as he thought of the best course of action. Opening the main gate would be easy with the number of men patrolling the grounds; taking out the heavy weapons would be slightly more difficult. In the end, Ike decided against it. The gate was the priority, anything else was just asking for trouble. The mercenary and his men waited in the shadows, watching as shifts for one patrol ended and another began. The new sentries did not appear to be any more alert than their predecessors. Eventually, the skies began to brighten. Dawn was upon them.

"It's time," Ike whispered as he emerged from the shadows and began to make his way towards the gate.

The mercenary stayed low and hugged the wall as he moved a line of laguz at his back. They slipped under the archway that encased the great wooden doors. Ike nodded to his men and they began to remove the thick wooden beams that kept the doors shut. There were three in total. The first came off without issue, as did the second, but the third one fell from their hands and crashed on top of the other two. The sound of wood smacking wood echoed all throughout the grounds followed immediately by the blowing of a horn and shouts from the guards. Ike slammed all his weight against those doors and they burst open.

"Do it! Now!" the mercenary shouted to his companions. "Give the signal!"

Several of the laguz shifted into their cat forms and let out a shrill roar. Ike spun around back towards the castle just as the first Daein soldier charged at him. The mercenary grabbed hold of one of the doors and shut it violently on the soldier. The man collided with the thick wood and went stumbling backwards. Ike yanked the door back open, drew Ragnell, and was on the man in an instant driving the golden blade through armor and flesh. He had to quickly pull back as another soldier tried to skewer him with a spear. A second soldier slashed at the mercenary's side with an ax while several more men with spears thrust at him from behind the first two. One of the cats pounced on the man with the ax, taking him down to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Ike used the opening to move forward as two of the laguz dragged down the first man with the lance. The remaining seven cats easily brought down the few men who had originally spotted them. However, Daein soldiers began pouring out of the castle. At first they came in small groups, but they soon started to attack in larger numbers.

The ten cats slowly inched further and further into the courtyard as they fanned out to deal with the enemy coming from all sides. Ike called for them to fall back to defend the gate and to make sure that they did not become isolated from each other. Laguz were not good defensive fighters and are worse at following orders while in the heat of battle. Ike did all he could to hold the entrance and protect his team but they kept advancing and Daein soldiers moved in behind them from the gap they had opened by the walls. The cats were suddenly swallowed up in a sea of ebon armor and with a swift rise and fall of weapons followed by a few pained shrieks Ike was alone. Spears, swords and axes dyed red with blood all turned towards him at that point. The mercenary raised Ragnell and cursed the lateness of his army and the stupidity of his men.

A loud roar shook the chill morning air, distant but still deafeningly loud. It was followed by thousands of lesser calls that seemed to come from all directions. The Daein men hesitated momentarily as they listened to the dying echoes of the lion's roar that signaled the approach of the Laguz Alliance. Ike did not waste his opportunity and quickly cleaved several men nearly in half in a single stroke from Ragnell. He felled another before the rest of the soldiers remembered the enemy before them. Ike had to retreat a step as numerous blades and spear points were thrust at him. A wall of sharpened steel kept pushing him back. The Daein's pushed him beyond the gate and managed to close one of the giant wooden doors, but Ike refused to let the second door be shut. With the number of people able to attack him cut in half, Ike held his ground. One soldier followed another, and he was followed by another, and another followed him. Ike could not count how many men he felled, but a small mound was beginning to form at his feet.

Ike fought fiercely to keep his position as Daein soldiers opened the door they had originally closed and attacked him with redoubled effort. The mercenary spun past one soldier as he lunged forward with his sword. Ike grabbed hold of the soldier's arm and threw him into the blades of his companions. He knocked a man's spear aside as he rammed into him sending the enemy, and several others, reeling backwards. The mercenary quickly pivoted and released a powerful blast from Ragnell as soldiers came up from behind. Ebon clad soldiers were quickly surrounding him when a loud roar drowned out every other sound. Skrimir bowled through a large number of Daeins and gave another ferocious roar that got man more to back off. Ike stole a quick glance back to see that the Laguz Alliance thundering across the frozen plains. The mercenary let out a triumphant shout as Skrimir roared again causing the Daein soldiers to retreat in fear. However, that feeling of victory was short lived. Daein's heavily armored knights had taken up positions at the top of the stairs, archers manned the heavy weapons and walls, and a few flame mages dotted the ranks. It would not be an easy fight even with their overwhelming numbers.

Ike quickly moved to one side as hundreds of laguz came pouring through the entrance. Hawks screeched overhead as they cleared the wall and charged towards the rear ranks to harass the officers and weaker units. Skrimir bounded off to join the battle at another part of the castle leaving the mercenary commander to head this battlefield. Ike did his best to direct his incoming soldiers as he tried to send them towards the stairs. Something was wrong though. They did not heed his orders and instead charged directly into the horseshoe shaped area where the courtyard was surrounded on three sides by the raised level. Laguz tried to leap right up to the second level but were easily repelled by the infantry that guarded that portion of the wall. Ike shouted for his men to avoid that area and to attack the stairs instead. A few obeyed but most laguz were to blinded and crazed by the chaos of battle to notice.

"Ike, what's going on?" Soren shouted as he rapidly approached his long-time friend. "Pull them back before they are all killed! They'll get slaughtered if they attack that position!"

"They won't listen!" Ike shot back angrily. He yelled as loud as his body would allow him to yet his orders went unheeded again. "All the Chaos in the air has made them go berserk. It's like they're feral. They don't seem to mind pain or death!"

Ike could do nothing but watch as volley after volley was launched from archers, mages and the heavy weapons onto his men leaving nothing but a pile of bodies. The battle had barely begun and already it was not going favorably. More laguz poured through the gates and this time Ike physically placed himself in their path and forced them to go to one side or the other, he cared not, just as long as they did not try to charge the middle. This worked for a while, but when the Daein lines held on the stairs and the laguz no longer had a way to move forward they started to attack the center horseshoe again. Just as before, the laguz were easy prey for enemy mages and archers. Ike was powerless to stop them. He could feel his anger rising at that fact. He began shouting for Skrimir. If anyone could get these warriors in line, it would be him. However, the lion was off fighting his own battle as was Tibarn. Ike grit his teeth and kept shouting commands to anyone who would listen.

"Ike," Ranulf called as he came to investigate how the battle was faring. The cat's mouth dropped when he saw the carnage. He looked to Soren and then to Ike, whose commands still fell on deaf ears. "Ike! You've got to do something! Hurry! Before we take any more casualties from this insanity!"

"To me!" the mercenary roared as he raised Ragnell high above his head. "Laguz warriors, to me! Follow my lead!"

To the dismay of both Soren and Ranulf, Ike charged straight into the massacre that was happening in the horseshoe. They both call after him yet the mercenary did not listen. He ran over fallen bodies and dying laguz in both their human and shifted forms. Ike did not break stride or slow down as another volley of arrows rained down upon him and the laguz warriors that followed him. Many grazed him yet not a single one pierced him. He climbed the mound of bodies and leapt onto the next level. The Daein soldiers barely had time to react as Ike hacked two of them in half with one fell swing of his sword. Before the third could pull his shield up to guard Ragnell was buried up to the hilt in his chest. The laguz surged up behind the hole that had been opened up by their commander and broke through the heart of the Daein defenses.

The tables had turned. At first it had been a massacre of the Laguz Alliance but now it was Daein soldiers who were being slaughtered. Ike charge up to the second level, cutting down any enemy who dared opposed him. The mercenary clambered up the wall to the third level before anyone could stop him and there he stood alone against a host of Daein soldiers. Behind them stood the one person he both sought after and at the same time wished was anywhere but here, Micaiah. He couldn't help the grin that tugged at his lips when he saw his cape draped around her slender shoulders. Ike had little time to gaze upon the silver haired beauty as men rushed forward to take him on. He dodged past the first man, a heavily armored knight, and slashed the back of his legs. The knight stumbled and fell head first over the ledge to land in a heap of steel and broken flesh. The mercenary felled the next man by plunging Ragnell through the visor in the knight's helm. Several more heavily armored knights came rushing forward. They were all slow and clumsy. Ike had no trouble disposing of them as well. As he turned to face his next opponent something slammed into his gut knocking the wind from his lungs. A lightly armored foot soldier had tried to tackle him. The mercenary brought his knee up into the soldier's stomach, causing the man to double over, and then gave him a fierce kick to the side of the head with his boot. The man's helm crunched from the impact and blood gushed out from under it as he collapsed in a heap.

Ike swung his sword in anticipation of an attack coming from his side and caught a dagger. A shaky rogue clutched the hilt. Sothe had a fire in his eyes but his skin was pale and his body visibly weak. Had the green haired young man been the only one Ike had to contend with he would not have had a problem, but before the mercenary could launch his own attack three swords and a lance stabbed at him. The mercenary evaded, if only barely. He was once again faced with Daein's Dawn Brigade. He had barely survived the last battle. This time would be different though. Before him was Sothe, Zihark, Brom's daughter, the young swordsman with light brown hair and a golden sword, and a soldier with sea green hair. It pained Ike to do it, but he knew Brom's daughter to be the weakest from their last encounter. He moved quickly, slashing upwards at her sword arm. She tried to deflect Ragnell but Ike was far more powerful and the golden blade buried itself a ways into her chest. She let out a startled gasp before collapsing. Ike would have to admit to this later and face Brom's fury and grief, but for the time being he had to focus. He kept moving and made sure that Dawn Brigade members were always between him and their blond archer, who was a very good shot from what he remembered. The young swordsman was the next to fall. He over extended himself and Ike brought Ragnell down hard. Somehow the boy guarded against the attack, but it was nowhere good enough. Ike's sword tore through the flesh and bone of the boy's left shoulder and he was down.

Micaiah was crying and screaming for the two sides to stop. She was ignored as Ike threw Zihark onto the lance of the green haired soldier and shoved both of them over the ledge. The mercenary felt a hand touch his back and had just enough time to block Sothe's attack. The rogue struggled to break free but Ike had Sothe's wrist held secure in his hand. The mercenary took the dagger out of his old friend's hand and stabbed it into the younger man's side before throwing him to the ground. Ike felt it was time to move again and not a moment too soon as an arrow whizzed past his ear. The next foe was quickly upon him, an older man with well-trimmed goatee and an ax. He had not taken part in the last fight so Ike was unsure of his abilities. They exchanged blows and the mercenary could immediately tell that this man was strong and experienced but not nearly talented enough. Ike grabbed hold of the shaft of the ax as it was being swung down and bashed its owner in the face with Ragnell's hilt. A large gash spurted blood from the man's head just above his eyebrows as he fell unconscious. Ike now had a clear shot at the archer and he did not waste a second. He brought his sword down and a burst of blue energy shot forth and opened the blonde archer's stomach.

No one now stood between him and Micaiah save a young girl garbed in white robes with short brown hair. She trembled like a leaf in Ike's shadow and immediately laid down her tome of light magic. The blue haired man strode forward confidently. He had won the battle and would have Micaiah once again. The silver haired girl was on her knees, tears running down her face as she kept mumbling "I saw this coming. This was my vision. How did I not see it?" Ike knelt down in front of Micaiah and set Ragnell aside. He was about to embrace her when something slammed into his side and sent him to the ground. He barely got an arm up to defend himself before razor sharp fangs sank deep into his arm. The giant wolf growled in his throat as it brought up a massive paw and shredded Ike's boiled leather jerkin, shirt and flesh was terribly long claws. Blood pooled out from the wounds as the mercenary struggled to rid himself of the wolf.

"Good Volug," a familiar voice called out. "Keep him pinned!"

The owner of the voice soon came into Ike field of vision. The old man's white armor had been turned crimson by the blood that covered it but there was no doubt that it was Tauroneo. The general raised his lance up, took careful aim at the blue haired man at his feet, and brought the silver tipped weapon down with deadly force. Ike barely managed to redirect the attack with his free arm so that the lance struck hard stone instead of his body. The wolf called Volug released the arm he had in his mouth and moved in for the kill. Ike rolled away just as jaws snapped shut where his head used to be. He pushed himself to his feet and made for Ragnell, but Volug was faster. The wolf bit into Ike's calf and dragged the mercenary down. The hilt of his sword lay just out of reach. The mercenary saw Daein soldiers retreating back into the castle carrying wounded members of the Dawn Brigade on their backs. Micaiah was being lead inside the castle as well by one of the foot soldiers and Ike could feel victory slipping away. Angrily, the mercenary kicked Volug off of his leg, grabbed Ragnell and chased after the silver haired girl as she disappeared inside. His way was blocked by Tauroneo though. Ike did all he could to get by the old man but nothing he tried worked. In truth, the mercenary was feeling the fatigue of battle and a sleepless night. It quickly became apparent that he was unable to defeat the white armored general or the wolf. They too saw that it was time to retreat as the last of the Daein soldiers made it into the safety of the castle. Tauroneo bashed Ike with his great white shield, sending the exhausted mercenary tumbling to the ground, as he and Volug fled into the castle.

Ike lay motionless on the ground for a while and his burning muscles thanked him for the rest. He heard a loud roar, which was followed by the sound of something collapsing and a ton of panicking soldiers. It seemed an ill sign to the mercenary, but he was too tired to bother investigating at the moment. Someone would come to fetch him eventually and he would hear of how the battle faired. The first person to find him was one of the last people he expected to see. Boyd's large boots stormed angrily towards Ike. The green haired man extended his hand to his commander and friend. Ike gladly took it.

"I've got some news."

"I want to hear the good news first."

"I never said any of it was good Ike."

"Then give me the part that isn't so terrible before you deliver the worst of it."

"Well, the good news is that we won. Daein has fled Nox. Unfortunately we were unable to trap them like you had planned. They broke through our defenses and escaped."

"Is that all then?" Ike growled. Something like that should not have happened. The joint forces of Begnion and Crimea were more than enough to corral in the fleeing Daein army.

"No," Boyd continued and Ike knew that whatever came next was going to really upset him. "Crimea did not even march to battle. Queen Elincia showed up and ordered them not to take part in the battle. To make things even worse though is that the dragon tribes have got involved as well. They are demanding that we resolve this issue peacefully. Ike, if we don't follow their orders we lose Crimea's support and may end up having to battle the dragons as well as Daein and the Senate. That's simply a war we cannot win."

"I know!" Ike snapped more harshly than he had intended. "This is far from the victory that I had hoped for. Regardless, tell the men to occupy the castle. They will be glad to be out of the elements for a change."

Boyd nodded and ran off. Ike let out a heavy sigh. No Micaiah, Daein didn't surrender, and now he had to deal with the two worst groups to have on a war counsel. It did not help that he still had some bad memories from his time with Elincia. Ike slouched against the cold stone wall. This was not the victory he wanted, if it could be called a victory at all. They had suffered high casualties on his field of battle and had accomplished nearly zero of the goals he had set out for the army. In truth, he felt like a failure. With another heavy sigh Ike prepared himself for the upcoming unpleasant exchange he would have with the dragons of Goldoa and the queen of Crimea. He was still general of this army and had a duty to fulfill. Ike cleaned the blood off Ragnell's blade with the cloak of one of the dead Daein soldiers and sheathed his sword. He headed out of the fort in search of the cause of his misfortune.

* * *

**So this ended up being a bit longer than some of my other chapters. Once again, I apologize for my long absence. Like I said, a lot has happened this year for me. I plan on getting back on track though, maybe get a chapter out every two or three weeks. As always, leave a comment about whatever you want. I love to hear feedback be they compliments, constructive criticism or anything in between.**


	27. The Price of Words

Hero and a Priestess

* * *

**Alright, true to my word I have managed to bring you another chapter. I hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

Ike lay in bed, staring up at the high stone ceiling above him. It had been near two week since they had taken Nox and the peace treaties had not been going over well. Ike had attended the first few with hopes of seeing Micaiah and bringing an end to the fighting. Unfortunately, the silver haired maiden was nowhere to be found and unlikely to ever appear for fear that she might be captured again. Also, the Daein envoy showed no sign of bending to Sanaki's demands for unmolested passage into Begnion. The only silver lining to this terrible mess of a temporary truce was that Ranulf had, by some miracle, convinced Skrimir that his presence was not necessary at such a meeting. Had the lion prince gone he surely would have knocked out negotiators from both parties. Ike wouldn't have blamed him either. Queen Elincia and the dragons were representing the joint army of Empress Sanaki, who attended every meeting despite the slights the Daein men made towards her. King Pelleas himself spoke on behalf of his country along with a council of men that Ike had not recognized. Still, it did not change the fact that both parties requested the exact opposite of what the other wanted. Empress Sanaki demanded safe passage while King Pelleas told the Apostle to admit to being false and hand herself over to the Senate. Ike rolled over so that he now lay face down on the bed. He almost wished that these peace treaties would go on for a while longer, but he knew that battle would soon break out again. He was content just sitting in a nice heated castle, eating through the Daein stores that had been left behind, while his enemy starved and froze out in the elements. Food was the main issue that would force combat. It was something that was often taken for granted yet now it was of the utmost importance. With winter well underway there was little to be had for the Daein army.

Ike turned in his bed again. After sleeping on nothing but furs for months on end, an actual bed was far too comfortable to allow him to rest peacefully. The mercenary lay there all the same though, not wanting to get up quiet yet even though it was well past midday. From down in the yard below he could hear the clang of steel and the clack of wood as soldiers trained for the upcoming battles. The thought of fighting against Daein again irritated Ike to no end. It had been painfully clear who was pulling the strings behind this war when King Pelleas offered his terms. The Apostle must admit to her falsehood and be handed over to the Senate. It was so blatantly obvious. Why was Daein obediently being the shield for an empire that had brutalized its people only earlier that year? He had never actually got an answer out of Micaiah when she was still his captive. He knew there was something that she had wanted to tell him, some great secret that would shed light on this mystery, but she never got the chance.

"Micaiah" Ike whispered as if she were sleeping right next to him.

Her name brought a sad smile to his lips. There was no guarantee that either of them would live long enough to see the other under more agreeable circumstances. That thought saddened the mercenary. He didn't see himself dying anytime soon, not in Daein at least. The possibility of Micaiah passing in the near future was a very likely though. The number of things that could end her life was numerous. The cold, starvation, disease, a soldier from his army or simply a bad accident. The thought of death depressed Ike even more. The large man felt the need for company and finally dragged himself out of bed. Ike put on his usual green head band, threw on a black cloak he had taken to wearing in place of his traditional red one that was still in Micaiah's possession, and pulled on his boots. As he exited he took one last look in the room. It was one of few on the top floor. In all honesty, Ike fully believed it had been where Micaiah had slept during her short stay since he thought he smelled her in the bed sheets. However, that scent had quickly faded and he started to think it was his own longing for the girl that convinced him in the first place. With a heavy sigh, Ike closed the door and decided to make his way to the training grounds. Mia was bound to be down there and sparring with her almost always brightened his mood.

The castle was buzzing with all kinds of activity. The whole place had been packed with more than it was ever meant to hold. Nox had been big enough to house Daein's ten thousand men easily and could have held twice that many. However, it was not designed to shelter as large an army as was now taking residence in it. Every room was crammed full of either soldiers or supplies. Still, everyone was glad to be out of the cold of winter regardless of how close they had to be to each other. The mercenary continued on in silence, no one took much notice of him. All sorts of people bustled around the halls, those serving food, messengers, squires carrying freshly mended mail and weapons to knights and common soldiers alike, priests and various other healers going to tend the wounded, and every sort of person in between. Once Ike left the castle the sound of soldiers practicing met his ears. The snarls and hissing of laguz were amongst the shouts of men and the clash of weapons. He skirted along the outside of the practicing warriors looking for his mercenaries. It was they who spotted him first.

"Boss," Mia cheered merrily as she waved him over. In front of her Gatrie and Boyd were having a bout and neither was giving as much as an inch. "I've been itching for another go at you for a while. Get yourself warmed up and stretched out. I don't want to hear any complaining that you lost because of a stiff sword arm!"

Ike couldn't help but laugh. No matter how often she lost, Mia never lost confidence in her abilities. It felt good to back with friends and family. He hadn't interacted with them nearly enough in the past months. Ike noticed that a great sword with blunted edges lay at Mia's side as well. She grinned at him.

"I won't have you running off like a coward either," she poked fun at him.

"Now what sort of man would I be if I ran from a challenge from a girl half my size?" he teased back.

"A wise one," Ranulf said as he wrapped an arm around both Ike and Mia's shoulders. "This one has been beating everyone today. Beorc, laguz, mounted or not, it doesn't seem to matter. The Mighty Mia is always victorious!"

Ike and Mia both laughed, as did the mercenaries around them. It truly was good to clear his mind of the war for a bit. There was little more to be said as a sudden cheer went up from Boyd. He had knocked Gatrie to his feet with a sweep from his ax and had left quite a dent in the knight's armor from where he had dealt the finishing blow. Afterwards though, the green haired man helped his opponent to his feet, both of them grinning and congratulating each other on a match well fought. Mia grabbed hold of Ike's hand and dragged him out next. She tossed him his blade and drew her own. The weight of the blade far surpassed that of Ragnell and that of any blade of a similar size. Ike grinned, it had been too long since he held a training sword and not one that was intended for killing. Still, he called out to Mia and taunted her for handing him a weighted blade saying that she intended to win by a cheap trick. Quick as lightening, she struck back. Ike barely managed to get his own sword up in time. She had definitely gotten faster since they last sparred and a little stronger, but he was still the better fighter. Even with his bulky sword, Ike matched each blow and delivered a counter as fast as Mia could. He kept her back far enough so that she could not threaten him but close enough so that he could still strike her. He waited patiently as she continued to probe him for weaknesses, both playing it safely. It was then that the purple haired woman overextended herself just a bit too. Full awareness of her mistake showed in her emerald eyes as she tried to quickly pull back to safety but it was too late by then. Ike lunged forward bringing a heavy overhand swing down upon her. Mia lifted her sword arm up but the blow jarred the blade from her hands and sent her to her knees.

Ike extended an arm out to her and helped her back to her feet. Mia stuck her tongue out and called him a brute as she recovered her dented sword but said it all as a jest. Both laughed a bit as the next challenger stepped forward. Ike turned to face someone he did not expect to see. Brom stood before him, ax in hand, and ready to fight. Ike had not seen much of the farmer since he had told him of the potentially fatal wound he had dealt his daughter and was glad of it. A frown never suited that jolly man's face any more than rage had fit his demeanor but Ike had been witness to both, along with grief. He had heard that Brom had done nothing since but mope around the castle our stand atop the castle walls and stare in the direction of the Daein camp. He must have been fighting with the desire to abandon everything and rush to his daughter's side. Ike wouldn't have blamed him if he did. Brom seemed ready enough for a good match or possibly a way to vent his frustration.

Ike readied himself for the fight. Against such a slow opponent, it would be best to strike fast and hard. The large man charged and danced past the downward arch of Brom's ax. Ike was about to land a blow to the back of the farmer's leg when said man spun around and smashed his shield into Ike's side. The mercenary nearly lost his balance from the sudden impact and had to distance himself from his opponent. As Ike turned he could see the flash of steel as it descended towards him once again. He dodged this attack as well and hacked at the arm wielding the weapon, but the heavy steel plates guarded well against his sword. Brom swung his ax back towards the mercenary. Ike ducked under it and threw his shoulder into the gut of his opponent. The thick breast plate held, but the wearer lost balance and stumbled backwards. Ike was upon the farmer in an instant, keeping the man on his heels. However, Brom pushed back and tried to attack again. The mercenary's actions were almost simultaneous. He placed one leg behind the farmer's and hit the man savagely in the chest with his forearm. Brom went down with a crash and Ike stood over him panting slightly. The older man lay there for a second before bursting out with a fit of laughter.

"I never knew you were such a fierce fighter," Ike commented the older man as he helped him to his feet, glad that his old friend bore no great hatred towards him.

"War'll do that to a man," Brom huffed in his thick country accent. "I know ya did what ya had to an' all. Don't mean I like it one bit, but I don't hold it against yer or nothing."

"Thank you. I would hate to lose you too Brom. I hate fighting my old friends as much as you do."

"Much as I would," Brom corrected sharply. "You're the only one to wound an ol' friend in tis' 'ere war. Zihark an' Sothe be the only ones I know of. Jill turned so you can't do her no harm nor Tauroneo though he be a tough one to wound, he would. I'm altogether sick o' this war business."

"As am I," Ike offered comfortingly. "I won't hold it against you if you decided to leave or even if you changed sides. I must stay though. I've accepted a contract and if I break that, my reputation as a mercenary will be destroyed. No one would want to hire a contract breaker."

"You young folk shouldn't be doin' this here butcher's work," the old farmer grumbled. "It ain't fit for no man, tell the truth. You should try your hand at the plow. Farmin's honest business."

Ike merely shook his head and denied Brom's suggestion. _Your hands were made for killing. _A voice sneered inside the mercenary's mind. He frowned. It had been a while since he had last heard voices, but now they were back. Irritating as it was, Ike was more surprised that they had been silent for as long as they had been since the medallion burned so brightly. Ike never dared visit the herons and the medallion personally. He feared what that might bring. He remembered the story of how his father's strength grew many times over when he touched the medallion. That had happened during a time when the blue flames did not engulf the large bronze medal. Now that they created a small inferno, Ike did not dare to be anywhere near the thing. Suddenly his taste for training had soured. He apologized to the other mercenaries, grabbed his training sword, and took his leave of them. Ike returned his blade to the Greil Mercenaries' supply tent and made his way up to the top of the wall. He stood there and gazed out to where the Daein camp lay, hidden behind a cluster of pines and evergreen trees. In the barren grounds of no-man's-land, a lone tent of white canvas had been erected where the two armies had been arguing over peace terms that would never work. Ike turned on his heels and returned to the castle.

Several days passed with no further progress on a resolution to the stalemate. Ike stood atop the wall once more. A thick fog had settled over the field that day, concealing the tent from view. The skies were cloudy so no sun would come to burn the fog away. The mercenary crossed his arms and stood watch, as he had done every time since he opted to not go to the meetings anymore. Trying to please Queen Elincia and the dragons of Goldoa was costing him time, but it was allowing his weary troops to rest and preserving their numbers. Still, he would have preferred taking action. However, being on the wrong side of Goldoa could prove fatal for any country and upsetting Crimea's queen could lose him a third of his army. In the open field the overwhelming strength and speed of cavalry was of great importance and most of the Crimean army were mounted knights. Also, open warfare would pose a great threat to Micaiah's life so he wasn't about to try that either.

"My claws will fall out before they reach an agreement!" Skrimir complained loudly as he came to stand next to Ike. "I dislike waiting around!"

"Patience is a virtue befitting of a leader," the mercenary general responded without turning to face the lion prince. "I don't like sitting around for weeks either, but it had done wonders for our army. The wounded are getting healthy and strong again. The others are grateful for the chance to rest."

"That is you beorc," Skrimir grumbled under his breath. Ike knew that the lion had slept for nearly a full day when they took the castle he was so tired. The hot-headed prince would not admit to fatigue or injury but he too was grateful for a roof, a bed, and a fire. "I dislike this fog as well. I cannot see and we are upwind so I cannot smell them either."

"You think Daein will attack?" Ike asked, suddenly aware of how right Skrimir was.

"Only cowards would do such a thing! But Daein has proved to be a nasty sort that tries all kinds of devious tricks to win. I wouldn't be surprised."

"Kieran!" Ike called for the current commander of the Crimean knights. The man appeared in his crimson armor almost immediately. "I want you to have fifty of your best knights horsed and ready. Bring them so that you are within sight of the tent but do not move unless Daein does."

The knight hurried off to fulfill his order. Ike left Skrimir, saying he was going to go and join the meeting. The mercenary pushed past Nox's gates and strode out into the open field. The cold wind whipped at his back and his black cape snapped and swirled around him. Once he entered the fog, the sounds of the castle almost disappeared completely. The tent loomed ahead, emerging as if out of nowhere. Faint voices came from within and grew louder as Ike got closer. The mercenary stopped just outside, feeling a bit foolish for being overly cautious. If Daein had planned some kind of treachery, they would have probably done something already. They had plenty of opportunities to murder or kidnap Empress Sanaki as well as the dragons, Queen Elincia, and a few minor lords from both Crimea and Begnion that served as officers. Ike paced around the tent several times, barely listening to what was being said inside. However, as the voices grew louder and more heated within, he decided to make an appearance.

A gust of cold wind accompanied Ike as he entered the tent. Everyone went quiet and turned to see who the newcomer was. The tent had two entrances and Ike had to good fortune to have selected the one designated for his side. A large table separated the two parties, and a good thing to. Everyone seemed to be pushing forward to get at the other side. Queen Elincia's face was flushed red with rage and her hands were balled into fists. Lucia stood beside her queen showing just as much anger. Sigrun and Tanith each had one hand on Sanaki's shoulders and the other on the hilts of their swords. Ike noted that everyone else was armed as well, including Queen Elincia. The two dragons stood at either end of the table, they were supposed to be the arbiters in this conflict, and even they looked a bit enraged. The Daein officers looked furious as well. Their faces darkened even further when they saw Ike. Most of the Daein people despised him for his part in the Mad King's War; soldiers and officers more than anyone else.

"We did not come here to trade insults!" a man with thick gray hair and a beard of similar color growled as he turned to leave. The other Daein officers left before him. "You should have accepted our terms. They were more than fair. You will all die when it comes to battle! None of you shall pass through our lands!"

Ike did not like the sound of that threat. The others did not seem to pay it much mind as they grumbled and complained to each other about how the meeting had gone. The threat of attack weighed heavily upon the mercenary's mind as he approached Lucia. He had no desire to speak with Elincia but the blue haired swordswoman only showered him with complaints about the insults Daein had launched against the queen. He found similar results when he tried getting Sigrun and Tanith to head back to the castle as well. The dragons left easily enough, but everyone else remained. Ike finally tried to order everyone back to the safety of the castle, but only received harsh rebukes from both Queen Elincia and the Apostle. Ike grit his teeth and cursed the pride of royalty. The sound of hooves on hard ground quieted everyone down immediately. Suddenly, everyone was scrambling to get out. Torches were being tossed on top of the tent and the whole thing was quickly engulfed in flames. Arrows began to whistle past, one of them piercing through a green and white doublet to find the soft flesh of a Crimean officer. The mercenary groaned. Even though most everyone was armed, no one was armored. On foot, they stood almost no chance against the knights outside, but had less a chance inside the burning tent.

"This way!" Ike roared as he drew Ragnell and cut his way out. Everyone drew their steel, except Elincia, and rushed outside.

The tent collapsed in a swirl of flame and smoke just as the last of them passed through. However, outside the Daein knights were waiting. There were about twenty of them, all on horseback and well-armed. They closed in from three sides giving their prey no time to defend or escape. Ike knocked the tip of a spear up as a knight tried to impale him with it. The horse reared at the fire and a hoof nearly caught the mercenary in the face. He opened the beast's belly and, with a shriek, it went down with its rider. Before the man could recover Ike split his helm and head. The mercenary immediately found himself faced with another foe before he had the time to see how the others were doing.

"Protect the Apostle and the queen! Drive off the Daein cowards!"

That cry lifted Ike spirits immediately. The Daein knights took no time in fleeing either. Kieran would have chased them all the way back to the Daein camp too had Ike not stopped him. Battle would resume again soon enough. The mercenary glanced around and saw that the only Daein knight to have died was the one he killed. Six of his men lay dead though, four Crimean and two Begnion officers. One of them had been trampled to death, a few had been shot when they were escaping the flames, and the others had died by either lance or sword. Empress Sanaki's robes had been burned slightly but she herself was unharmed, Queen Elincia as well. Lucia, Sigrun, and Tanith had a few shallow cuts but were otherwise fine. There were three officers remaining, all of them wearing the crimson of Begnion, and they too were without any serious injury. Ike removed what was left of the helm from the man he slew. Beneath was a face he had seen only minutes before. The thick grey hair and beard of the man who threatened them as he left was unmistakable, even with half his head missing. Ike had not wanted to speak with either Elincia or Sanaki before but now he had to know what had been said during the meeting. He would wait until they were back within the safety of Nox before he asked. The mercenary followed both women and their guards up to the top level of the castle. When they were about to go to their separate rooms he stopped them and ordered them to go to his instead. Once everyone was inside and the door had been closed, he started.

"What happened before I entered?" Ike asked the group of females before him. Everyone raised their voice at once to speak and the mercenary couldn't make sense of what anyone was saying. "Enough! Elincia, you first. What happened? What insults did you make against Daein to make them attack us?"

"They insulted us first!" the queen snapped. "They said that I-"

"I don't care!" Ike roared as he cut her off. Elincia shrank back at the severity of his voice. "Are you some kind of child? Five of your men died today and two of Sanaki's! Are the lives of seven good men worth a couple of empty words? Now tell me, what was said?" The young queen lowered her head and hid behind her green hair. Ike looked to the others but each of them avoided his gaze. "Very well, you may leave then. Except you Sigrun, you stay." Once everyone had gone the mercenary sighed and walked over to the hearth to light a fire. Once there was one crackling away he turned his attention back to his fellow general. "I want to hear the whole story, Sigrun. I saw the aftermath of that meeting, even someone as gentle as you looked ready to kill. Tell me everything that happened."

"Very well, my Lord Ike," the mercenary reminded Sigrun that he was no longer a lord before letting her begin. "It started as it always does, we greet them and they us. After everyone from each side is introduced, we give our terms to Ena and Kurthnaga who then read them aloud for both sides to hear. Ours was read first. We requested, as always, that we be given unmolested passage through Daein to Begnion with promise that we will not be attacked from the rear once we have passed. We guaranteed that our armies would not harm the farms or villages along our way and would pay gold to the Daein treasury for allowing us to pass through their lands. However, Daein's requests were that we give them the Apostle and leave their lands. Oh, and this time they requested that you be turned in as well to answer for your crimes against the people of Daein. Afterwards, Empress Sanaki asked why Daein was helping the Senate and why they called her a false Apostle; to which they replied that 'no true Apostle would whore herself out to beasts and lowborn scum' and that was when it all fell apart. We called the Daein's cowards and bigots while they called us godless, indecent and made more personal insults against both the Empress Sanaki and Queen Elincia. The final, and worst blow of all, happened right before you walked in. Queen Elincia had just been accused of being a loose woman who slept with whoever it took to gain her crown and he beastly allies. She could not stand to be insulted anymore. She said 'at least I have chosen a strong and well respected lord to lead my army and not some silver haired prostitute from the streets of Nevassa!'"

"That was poorly done," Ike growled as his own anger flared. "I am no lord and Micaiah is not some street girl who earns her living by lying on her back! That's twice Queen Elincia has made a foolish mistake that has cost men their lives. We will be at war again because of this, though I do not doubt it would have come eventually. Leave me."

Sigrun apologized for how things had gone before leaving Ike alone. The mercenary sat cross-legged in front of the fire and watched the flames dance. He heard someone open the door and enter but he ignored whoever it was. A voice called to him, he immediately recognized it as Ena's but he did not turn around and only grunted in acknowledgement. She informed him that Prince Kurthnaga had gone to Daein to try and sway them away from violence. Ike dismissed her once her report was complete. It did not matter what the dragons did to stop the fighting now. War would continue. Daein stood no chance of surviving a battle in the open field. They lacked the numbers for that. This would be the final battle for sure and Daein would have to be destroyed. It was the last thing Ike wanted but it was what he had to do.

"Stay safe Micaiah," he whispered, hoping that someone would hear him.

* * *

**And there you have it. I'm moving right along and am almost through part III of the game now. Anyways, I will have another chapter up in a few weeks again as I try to keep to this new schedule. You know what to do now, leave a comment. Anything is appreciated. Until next time.**


	28. A New War

Hero and a Priestess

* * *

The sky began to turn grey as dawn's approach neared. Ike stood atop the outer walls of Nox, gazing out in the direction of the Daein encampment. The dragon prince, Kurthnaga, had gone out the night before to try and stay the imminent threat of battle. It was a useless effort though. Even if Daein could be convinced to back down, Ike knew that his troops would never allow the murder that had transpired at the peace meeting to go unanswered. Within the walls the joint forces that made up the Apostle's army was preparing for battle. This time the objective was to completely eliminate the enemy so that they could no longer be a threat. It wasn't what Ike wanted, but it was nearly a unanimous decision by all the officers and representatives of each country. Also, there had been rumors that events in Begnion were getting increasingly violent. There was news of riots and soldiers killing civilians to drive the mobs away, some rumors even said that the capital was on fire. Empress Sanaki had not stood still since she had heard all of this despite Sigrun's best attempts to reassure her that such tidings were the talk of the small folk, and they often told fanciful tales. Still Ike had seen the uncertainty in the eyes of the Holy Guard's commander. The look of apprehension was the look that near every Begnion soldier wore since they had heard those disturbing rumors. They cried for blood so loudly during the last meeting that even Queen Elincia seemed ready to just give them the carnage they desired.

Ike gazed down at the masses of soldiers and knights that were rushing about the yard as they made their final preparations for battle. It was strange how they all wore the same grey armor in the pale light of the predawn. Perhaps even Daein soldiers would blend in to the sea of grey men. The mercenary sighed and turned his gaze back towards the enemy encampment. The Daein army did not stand a chance in the open field. Tibarn's hawks, Sigrun's pegasus knights, and Haar's wyvern riders had decimated nearly every single flying unit Daein had. The laguz had seen to the destruction of the majority of Daein's heavily armored knights and infantry units leaving them with mostly cavalry. Still, the Crimean's were far superior in both numbers and abilities when it came to mounted fighting. Daein did not stand on equal footing in any aspect. The terrain was flat and mostly open and they lacked the numbers to take on a force as large as the one Ike commanded. He simply couldn't understand why they decided to fight even when faced with such staggering odds. Micaiah wasn't stupid, neither were any of the other Daein officers that Ike knew, but what they were attempting to do was sheer madness. None of it made any sense. The mercenary thought back to when he held Micaiah captive. He had gained nothing from that short time. He should have pressured her more. He should have not stopped until she had revealed to him why Daein was fighting for the Senate. Ike cursed his lack of focus as he thought of all the time he simply wasted enjoying Micaiah's company instead of trying to get information out of her. He didn't realize someone was trying to get his attention until she touched his arm. The mercenary suddenly whirled about to find Queen Elincia standing behind him. Ike couldn't help the frown that came to his face. This was the last person he wanted to see right now.

"My Lord Ike-"

"I'm not yours and I'm not a lord," he corrected.

"M-my apologies. I just…" Elincia looked around as if the words she wanted were floating in the air somewhere. Ike crossed his arms impatiently as he waited for the Crimean queen to find her tongue. "I didn't mean for this to happen. When I came here, it was to make peace, not war. I don't know what came over me when I… I don't hate Micaiah or think ill of her. Maybe I'm still harboring some hatred for Daein for what they did to my country and my family. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry for this mess I've created."

"If you're sorry then you should go around the castle and start apologizing to everyone who is going to die today because you called your troops off during the last battle," Ike replied as coldly. "And once you finish here, you can go over to the Daein camp and begin apologizing to them as well. Do you even know what it is you did that day? We had Daein cornered! They had no place to run to! And you come along and open a door for them! If it hadn't been for you, they would have surrendered and that would have been the end of this war. But you called off every single Crimean soldier. The Begnion force on its own was nowhere near large enough to contain the fleeing Daein army. Now, thousands more people are going to die today. Their blood is on your hands."

"Ike, you know that I never intended for this to happen! I-"

"Don't belong here," the mercenary finished for her. "Everyone knows their strengths and weaknesses here. Skrimir doesn't try to come up with battle plans because he knows that he is a better fighter than strategist. Empress Sanaki isn't out here leading the troops because she knows that the laguz do not entirely trust her and she lacks any real battle experience. You, on the other hand, think you know how to lead an army. You think that we didn't know what we were doing and intervened. You should be back in Crimea ruling your people, that is your place."

"I'm not going back," Elincia whispered as she lowered her gaze so she didn't have to look Ike in the eyes.

"Very well, but you will not interfere with our battles anymore. If the chance for a peace talk ever arises again, I will call for you. Otherwise, stay here."

Queen Elincia mumbled an inaudible reply as she turned to leave. Ike watched her go and couldn't help but notice how much white the queen wore. Her armor and robe were white. The mercenary growled in anger at that. White stood for innocence, but the Crimean queen was more ignorant than innocent. She could claim that her actions were done with the best intentions, but that didn't change the end result. Still, the people would blame him for the deaths. Most people wouldn't even be aware that the Queen of Crimea even had anything to do with the last battle so naturally he would be accused of allowing this war to drag on longer than it had to. Ike let out a frustrated sigh. The world wasn't fair. Royalty, lords, ladies, people of the court, they all lived a life free of consequences. It was the common people who suffered for their mistakes, just as they were about to die for Elincia's mistake. Below, the gates swung open and all three armies were ready to march. Ike took one last look across the frozen fields to where the Daein camp lay, just over the horizon.

"Ike!" someone called out. He saw Ena, the pink haired dragon girl, rushing towards him. "General Ike, I've got bad news," he groaned at the prospect of more bad news. "As you know, last night Prince Kurthnaga went to the Daein camp to try and talk them out of a fight. Unfortunately, he seems to have joined sides with them instead."

"That's just wonderful," Ike growled. "One of the supposedly neutral dragons of Goldoa has taken sides with our enemy, and he's not just any dragon either, he's the prince! Not to mention he isn't the only one who changed sides. The herons and hawks have been frantically searching for Prince Rafiel since yesterday, and wherever he goes Queen Nailah is bound to be nearby. That's two more dangerous enemies and one complicated matter."

"Ike, I would be very much indebted to you if you would allow me to try and meet with the prince to talk him out of this foolishness."

"You can do as you like." Ena bowed and thanked Ike for his kindness before rushing through the gates. The mercenary let out a sigh. Things were only getting more complicated with each passing day. Now, with the added strength of the dragon prince and the wolf queen Daein stood a chance of surviving today's battle. It didn't help that most of the laguz were about ready to lose their minds to Chaos. Plus, he now had to make sure that the heron prince, Rafiel, didn't come to any harm during the battle. Ike put all of that out of his mind as he turned to face his army. "Alright, listen up! Today is the final battle with Daein. They have pushed for this fight and now they've got it! However, this will be no simple battle. Prince Rafiel of the heron tribe has joined forces with the Daein's. He is not to come to any harm! Neither are any of the Daein leaders. That means you are not to kill King Pelleas or General Micaiah! If either of them dies, we have no hope of peaceful relations with Daein after the war. Is that understood?" The soldiers massed below Ike gave varying responses. Some cheered, but those men were few. The majority mumbled or stayed silent. The mercenary ignored that and pressed on. "All flyers will follow King Tibarn and General Sigrun up the right flank, the laguz will follow Prince Skrimir up the left flank, and the cavalry will follow Commander Kieran around to Daein's rear. I will lead the charge up the middle with the remaining soldiers. We end this today! Move out!"

* * *

"Please, you can't do this!" Micaiah pleaded with her friends as they readied themselves for battle. "Most of you barely escaped death back in Nox, why throw your lives away now? Answer me!" The tent was dark and silent. The members of the Dawn Brigade merely went about their business as if their silver haired counterpart was not there at all. Most of them limped or staggered about still weak from their wounds. "Sothe, you barely managed to rise out of bed today, how do you plan to fight?" Silence. "Aran you broke your arm. You can't wield a lance properly! Leonardo, you can barely pull back a bowstring in your condition. Edward, your-"

"That's enough Micaiah!" Laura finally cried out. "I know they're hurt, they know they're hurt, everyone knows it. We are the leaders of the Daein army though. We have to look strong. If we don't, how can everyone else be? I don't want to see my friends die any more than you do, but you aren't making this any easier."

"It's not like we could escape this fate anyways," Sothe's voice was barely louder than a whisper and the rogue was swaying visibly. "Maybe we should have just joined with Ike from the start. Maybe that would have been less bloody than this futile resistance is proving to be. Oh well, that chance is long gone. I guess today is the last day we get to see the sun. It's been nice knowing all of you. I honestly mean that too."

No one argued that they might actually survive the day. None of them believed they would. Their numbers had barely exceeded 10,000 while at Nox, but now… There hadn't been an official count as of yet but only about half of their men made it out of the castle. Of those that survived, more were wounded than not. It didn't help that Ike had them overwhelmingly outnumbered. Micaiah watched as her friends shuffled past her out into the crisp morning air. She could feel tears start to well up but she fought them back. Laura was right; it would do no good for her to look defeated in front of the men. She could at least give them hope, which would be as good a paper shield and a wooden sword. Micaiah took a deep breath and went out to face what she expected to be her final day. As she stepped out of the tent, she was practically blinded. She closed her eyes and simply bathed in the sun's warmth and radiance. The wind swirled around her and played with the silver strands of her hair. She inhaled the fresh, cold air of a winter morning. Micaiah simply enjoyed the feeling of being alive for a few moments. When she finally opened her eyes again the world before her was more beautiful than she ever remembered it. Everything glistened and sparkled from the layer of snow that covered the trees and ground. The sky was clear with only a few puffy, white clouds floating by. It was calming. Why did so many people have to die on such a nice day?

Micaiah listened as General Tauroneo gave the troop an encouraging speech about how their sacrifice bought Daein a new day. They cheered and shouted as if winning today's battle was an actual possibility. The sun played off his enameled plates and silver weapons giving him an especially heroic look. Micaiah smiled to herself as she thought of how the old man would be remembered as one of Daein's pillars during the reign of King Pelleas. She was simply just a figure head now. Ever since she had been brought back she noticed that her voice didn't carry the weight that it used to. Sothe General Tauroneo seemed to be the ones making most of the decisions along with Nolan. Not even King Pelleas could influence those three once they had decided on their battle plans, although she doubted that he would be able to help anyways.

Micaiah was almost surprised when the king himself made an appearance after General Tauroneo had finished. She, and the entire army included, knew that Pelleas was camped with them but none of them expected him to actually say anything before battle. The king stood silently for a few moments as he scanned the crowd. What came next was the worst possible thing he could have done, yet no one had expected it. Pelleas broke into tears as he began apologizing for the war and the soldiers that had died. His mother, the queen, quickly rushed to her son to comfort him. Micaiah could only gawk at the utter foolishness of the scene. Whatever the king had hoped to accomplish had not worked. All the fire and fighting spirit that Tauroneo had breathed into the men was put out by the tears of the king. There was no time to get them riled up and motivated again. They all looked like condemned men being ushered to the gallows, as they marched out to battle. The young king followed behind them, without his mother fretting over him. The dragon prince, wolf queen, and heron prince were all with him in place of Queen Almedha. At least those three individuals would have a positive influence on the battle.

Micaiah fell in behind everyone else. She let her mind wander to whatever it fancied. At first it latched onto the idea of dying. Oddly enough, the silver haired maiden felt rather tranquil about the whole concept but it depressed her to think about her friends dying so she tried to think of something else. Ike came to her, as he usually did when she sought to escape the troubles of life. Micaiah wondered if the mercenary would be able to save her. He was stronger than any man had a right to be, but his true power was his charisma. Still, thinking of Ike reminded her of how he had cut her friends down without hesitation. She couldn't really hold that against him but it still nagged at her. In the distance Micaiah heard the sounds of battle and that brought her back into reality. She was on a battlefield and here she and Ike were sworn enemies. Could she attack him when the time came? Micaiah wasn't sure. Would he understand if she did? Would he forgive her if she did? Would either of them even live to see the end of the day?

"No, focus!" Micaiah whispered as she tried to clear her mind and prepare for when the foe would reach her. Try as she might, her mind kept wandering and the world around her began to grow hazy. _This is not how things should happen. You must stop this! Follow me. Hurry!_ Micaiah turned around and saw a translucent figure in the snow urging her to follow. It looked like a little girl but the Daein general wasn't entirely sure. "Wait, wait for me. I'm coming."

Micaiah chased after this ghost like image and it led her further and further from the battle. She kept hearing its voice calling to her as from nowhere and yet everywhere at the same time. The silver haired girl did as the voice bid for what seemed like hours and she was growing tired when it suddenly stopped calling to her. She looked up and noticed for the first time where she was. Before her loomed the outer wall of Nox. This was deep in enemy territory and for a moment Micaiah panicked but then something strange happened. She felt a powerful force grab hold of her and she collapsed in the snow. There was something inside her, she could feel it was it took control of her body and forced her into submission. _I'm sorry about this. Don't struggle. Everything will be fine. _Micaiah wanted to speak, wanted to ask this voice questions but found that she could not talk. Her body rose from the snow without her commanding it and began to walk. Micaiah tried to fight back. She wanted control of her body again. At first, she felt as if she was winning but then the voice spoke to her again. _I told you not to struggle. This would have been easier if you just didn't struggle so much. _That was the last thing Micaiah remembered as her world suddenly went black.

When she finally woke again she was deep within Nox. Someone was singing. No, she was singing a song she had never heard before. Micaiah tried to look around but couldn't. Before her lay a bronze medallion engulfed in a raging blue inferno. As her body finished singing the song the flames subsided and eventually went out. The voice that had guided her and another voice began to speak to one another. Micaiah didn't understand what they were saying but she could tell that the familiar voice was upset, almost angry it seemed. Suddenly, a blinding light descended upon the world leaving only silence in its wake. All the leaders from the Apostle's army were in the room with her and even Empress Sanaki. Micaiah noticed Ike as well. They were all discussing something but their voices sounded muffled and far off. She tried calling out to the mercenary only to find that her words never passed her lips. She watched as Ike dashed out of the room, her body followed at a much more leisurely pace. The silver haired girl desperately wanted to run after Ike, he seemed terribly concerned about something. She eventually caught up with him outside on the battlefield. It was a colossal sculpture of war now. Everyone had been turned to stone. She could see the pain frozen on the faces of the dying and the fear in the eyes of those that had not suffered any fatal injuries. Dead bodies still made of flesh were sprinkled in with the statues.

Ike whirled about suddenly and pointed an accusing finger in her face. He looked furious. Micaiah didn't understand. None of this had been her doing. She tried to explain only to be reminded that her body was not her own. She felt like crying. _Don't worry. He is not mad at you. That man knows who I am. He thinks that I did all this but, just like you, I am innocent. I'm sorry for using your body like this but I had no other choice. It will be returned to you shortly. I'm Yune._ Micaiah simply allowed for the rest to just happen. The name 'Yune' confused her though. She named her bird that. Surely the voice didn't belong to her pet. Did it? All of a sudden, Micaiah felt a huge drain on her strength and her body was immediately returned to her control. She was so startled that she didn't have time to try and maintain her balance and she found herself falling.

"Be careful," Ike said as he caught her. She looked up to find that the mercenary was different than he had been a moment ago. His arm was covered in thick plates of steel and his cape was red once more even though she still wore his original red one. "Are you alright? Yune? Or are you Micaiah once again?"

"It's Micaiah," she barely managed to finish before the mercenary embraced her with his right arm. He did so gently to avoid hurting her since he now wore a chest plate as well. "What's going on? I don't know what's happened."

"To put things simply, we don't have to fight each other anymore," Ike released her and she saw that he was grinning but that quickly faded. "Unfortunately, as you can see, not everything is well. We've got ourselves a new war to fight. Turns out the Goddess Ashera turned everyone to stone. We have to go set everything right again. The Goddess Yune is the one leading us and was the one inside your body. She gave us a few days to rest and recover from the fighting we've been doing until now. Your friends need it the most. Come on Micaiah, the rest of the day is ours."

Ike stood up and pulled Micaiah up with him. Despite the situation, she smiled. Their new task was a daunting one, but at least everyone would be fighting together now. The silver haired girl laced her fingers with Ike's larger ones and walked beside him as they returned to Nox. She could feel a power pulsing within him and thought 'this is the man that will change the world.' Micaiah leaned in closer to the mercenary as she walked. 'He will shape my future as well' she thought.

* * *

**Okay so this was a shorter chapter than my last few. I know it's a little later than I hoped it would be too, but the holidays are a busy time. Anyways, I have an announcement for all of my readers. There won't be a new chapter for about two months. Sorry about that. I'm going away for a while and won't have any internet access. I'll have a new chapter as soon as I get back. In the mean time, leave a comment on this chapter. I love hearing everything all of you have to say about my work. Until next time.**


	29. Our One Night

Hero and a Priestess

* * *

**Alright, I'm back. It's been a while. My little return speech will be at the end of the chapter. Hopefully that will help, if not, you can leave a comment or send me a private message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. On to business! Just a heads-up, this is going to be an intimate chapters. If that bothers you don't just skip over this chapter. I've marked the beginning with an 'X' just in case you don't like reading that kind of stuff. Besides, that scene is near the end and isn't really the main focus here. Well, I've said enough. Enjoy!**

* * *

Micaiah sat on the edge of the outer wall of Nox looking down into the courtyard where Ike worked tirelessly to load supplies into a series of wagons that would go with the armies once they separated. He had allotted the group three days of rest, not including the day where everyone had been turned to stone. Micaiah shuddered as she remembered the field of frozen warriors. In the heat of a fight everything happens so fast and every death seems justified, but looking at the sheer senselessness of war frozen in time, it unnerved her. The grey of stone had robbed each army of their identifying colors making it difficult to tell who belonged to Daein, Crimea, and Begnion. They all looked so alike to Micaiah that it made the violence seem so pointless.

The silver haired girl pulled Ike's red cape tighter around her shoulders as a gust of icy wind blew over the castle. She sat in silence watching the people below her working, content to just watch. She had been excluded from the hard labor of loading supplies due to her small stature and weak physical strength. Micaiah didn't mind though, she enjoyed getting a chance to just observe Ike. It was interesting for her to see him in a slightly different setting. Even though he commanded the respect of everyone around him and could have chosen to let others take care of what had to be done he decided to forego that option and work alongside everyone. None of the other generals or kings were aiding in the process, it was mostly just the mercenaries and poorer members of the army, which Micaiah found distasteful. However, what irritated her just as much was the fact that she had not been able to spend as much time as she had wanted to with Ike. When he had taken her back to the castle the previous day she had been ecstatic until she found out that Ike wanted to meet with all of the leaders. He ordered them to break the army into three and send each one on a different route to the Tower of Guidance. Micaiah was fine with that idea, but did not like it when he named her the leader of one of the armies and had taken command of another. She had wanted to argue with him about the decision except she couldn't come up with a valid reason to be able to challenge him in public. Also, Ike had kept himself incredibly busy so she didn't have an opportunity to talk to him in private yet either. This was only their first day of rest out of three, so there was still time to spend with each other.

A shrill whistle sounded across the courtyard causing everyone to stop and stare at its source. Mist stood in the doorway on the third level of the courtyard and cupped her hands to mouth as she prepared to let out a shout. "Lunch!" the small brunette shouted at the top of her lungs. The group of workers quickly ditched whatever they had been doing and rushed up the steps. Micaiah got up, dusted herself off, and followed at a slower pace. Once inside, a buzz of conversation and warmth washed over her before she even reached the dining hall. The large hall had long tables and benches laid out with a fire blazing in the two hearths that were positioned on opposite walls. What she saw both pleased and surprised her; everyone was getting along and socializing with former enemies. Micaiah knew that a lot of the people in the room had been friends from the Mad King's War but had not expected them to continue their relationships as if the current war had never occurred. Even her friends from the Dawn Brigade were engaging in conversation with the Greil Mercenaries. However, despite appearances, Micaiah could tell that both sides were a bit nervous about talking with their former foes. The silver haired girl felt her gut clench when she saw Ike and Sothe sitting alone off at one end of a table, away from everyone else. Both of them appeared to be locked in a staring match, their food sat untouched before them.

"You shouldn't just stand there gawking at people," a voice teased from behind her. "It's an unattractive quality you seem to have." Micaiah spun around surprised but saw no one. "Just leave those two be, let them work out their differences on their own. Oh, and Ike will come to you on his own time. Probably sometime tomorrow so stop worrying over it."

Micaiah turned again to see Ranulf, the laguz captain, waltzing away with a contented flick of his tail and a brief dismissive wave of his hand. The cat always seemed to be wherever he needed to be to boost someone's spirits. He may try to seem aloof and play the role of the joker, but supported everyone in his own way. Micaiah glanced around and saw Mist leaving the kitchen. The brunette girl saw her and waved her over.

"Well, well little miss straggler," Mist teased as she wagged her finger at Micaiah, "had you waited any longer to get here we would have closed the kitchen. The cooks have to eat too you know." Micaiah began to apologize and explain why she had come in late but Mist just wrapped her arm around the other girl's shoulders and led her into the kitchen. The two girls passed by Oscar, the kind faced mercenary, as he went out into the dining hall to eat his own meal. He greeted them and continued on his way. Mist fetched two bowls and went over to a large pot where she reached in and scooped out a portion of stew for both of them. The small mercenary pointed to a corner of the kitchen with a large brick oven and told Micaiah to grab a loaf of bread. The two girls went back into the dining hall to sit down and eat. A lot of seats began to open up as people finished their meals and returned to whatever work they had been doing that morning. Micaiah saw Ike approaching and nearly managed to get out a greeting, but he passed right by without even noticing her. She focused her mind and tried to read his emotions. As usual though, his mind was like a wall of steel. A nudge brought the silver haired girl back. Mist was standing directly in front of her with a disapproving frown on her face. The brunette set both bowls she was carrying down at the nearest end of a table and ordered Micaiah to sit and wait while she went to go get them something to drink. Micaiah couldn't help looking over to where Ike and Sothe had been sitting. The rogue was still there with his elbows on the table, fingers laced, and his head hidden by his hands. Finally, he got up to return to his work leaving behind two untouched bowls of food. Mist slammed a mug down in front of Micaiah causing her to jump. The slender girl then slid onto the bench on the opposite side of the table.

"I know about your abilities," Mist began as she picked up her spoon and pointed it accusingly at Micaiah. "Don't think I didn't see what you tried to just do. Being able to read a person's mind and emotions is an unnatural and terrible power. I know you can't turn it off, but you will not intentionally use it on my brother again! If he wants to share some of his burdens with you or tell you what is bothering him, he will." Mist spooned a few bites of food into her mouth before picking up the loaf of bread Micaiah had brought and tearing it in two. A silence fell over the girls. Micaiah stared down into the murky depths of her stew; chunks of meat and diced vegetables floated around in it and it gave off an incredibly appetizing smell, but suddenly she found herself to not be very hungry. She was about to get up and leave when a hand grabbed her own. Mist looked at her almost apologetically. "Sit. Please stay and eat something." Micaiah remained seated, picked up her spoon, and hesitantly began to eat. With each bite her appetite returned and she began to feel better. "There is something healing about good food. It isn't much, but sometimes providing a good meal is all that I can do to help. Join me in the kitchen; I think it might do you some good. It's better than just sitting around waiting."

"I'm sorry," Micaiah apologized as her head bent forward and her bangs hid her eyes from view. "I've been acting selfishly. I just thought I could spend my last few days together with Ike, but it almost feels like he's been avoiding me. I mean soon all of us will be going our separate ways and no matter how confident Ike is about succeeding I feel like we'll probably never see each other again alive. There is so much I want to tell him and many things that I have to explain and apologize for." Tears began to well up in her eyes and she hastily wiped them away, but an unbidden flood of fear and sadness flooded her and Micaiah could not stop them. In a choked voice she continued. "I've done terrible things in this past year! People have died by my hand and at my command. My soldiers have given Ike so many scars I couldn't even count them. I at least need to explain to Ike why we had to fight! He has to know that much at the very least. And this fight with the Goddess, I know Ike is acting confident and he gave me courage for a while, but the more I think about it the more hopeless it seems! How can we mortals ever hope to take down an all-powerful being? We're doomed to fail and then the whole world will cease to exist and it will be our fault!"

A slender pair of arms wrapped around Micaiah from behind. She hadn't noticed Mist get up. "I know," the brunette whispered in a voice broken by emotion. "I know exactly how you feel, but you have to understand Ike better. He is shouldering everyone's fear, including his own, and trying to put confidence into us. He acts as if he doesn't doubt there will be a tomorrow because he has to. Imagine what would happen if he didn't. Everyone here either looks up to, respects, or fears Ike. If it looks like he has lost his nerve then nearly everyone else will follow him into despair. No matter how scared Ike might be, he has to put on a brave face for all his friends."

"You're strong," Micaiah said as she felt her emotions being replaced with shame and embarrassment.

"I have to be," Mist replied as she sat down. She kept one arm around Micaiah's shoulder and they leaned against each other. "If we didn't act like Ike's bravery was helping us to believe we can win, he might lose hope too. We have to be strong so Ike doesn't have to worry about us and can focus on leading the army. It isn't easy, but I, and the rest of the mercenaries, love him and believe in him. Having something to keep you busy helps too. Come on and eat up, it's a crime to waste good food," Mist said as she rose to her feet and returned to her seat in front of Micaiah. "We could always use an extra hand in the kitchen."

Micaiah finished her meal, stood up, grabbed her bowl, and followed Mist back into the kitchen. Inside there was Oscar and several other faces that Micaiah both knew and vaguely remembered from her time as Ike's captive. She recognized Ilyana immediately; the small girl was quickly consuming whatever food had not been eaten. She also noticed Jill, Laura, and Meg milling about in one corner. The others consisted of a large laguz with blue hair, a slender girl with long green hair that hung in her eyes, Oscar's youngest brother, and the Greil Mercenaries' priest. Mist suddenly started snapping orders and everyone quickly moved to obey. Micaiah was sent to go scrub out a large pot and when she finished she spent her time helping Mist cut meat and vegetables for another stew. The bustle and intensity of the kitchen soon drowned out all thoughts from Micaiah's mind. She worked hard up until dinner and gladly ate when everyone else had been served. Afterwards, she had to return to the kitchen and clean dishes again. Several of the others were preparing dough to be baked for tomorrow. When she finished, Micaiah dragged herself up to her room at the top of the keep. Nox, for the most part, was silent. Occasionally she passed someone who had drawn the first watch for the night. Micaiah entered her room, tiredly stripped her clothes, and collapsed on the bed. Sleep took her almost immediately.

The next day passed much the way the previous one had. Micaiah saw Ike several times that day during meals. She sat with Mist and the other people who worked in the kitchen. Ike sat with all the other leaders. The group was always pouring over a map while talking heatedly and Micaiah knew she should join them, but she had no desire to do so today. After the dinner cleanup was finished, Micaiah left the kitchen and nearly ran directly into Ike. He stared at her for a while, his jaw working as if he were chewing on his words, before he let out a tired sigh. A few of the other kitchen workers slipped by and offered a greeting as they passed. Ike apologized for blocking the way and ushered Micaiah off to the side.

After a few more moments of staring at her, Ike finally spoke, "They are wondering why you haven't joined us for our meetings. You're the head of an army so you should participate in our discussions."

"Oh," Micaiah said, disappointed and her voice and face showed it. "Is that all?"

"No," Ike continued as he looked about nervously. He scratched the back of his head and shifted his weight from foot to foot as he searched for the right words. "I'm sorry about sending you away but it is necessary for us to have the greatest chance for success. I had to do it. I needed to make sure that someone strong made it so I sent the three strongest people away. That means I have to lead one army and you have to be in charge of another."

"So who is the strongest in the third army?" the silver haired girl asked coolly.

"Micaiah," Ike pleaded, but she wasn't finished.

"No, seriously this is important," she plowed on just as icily as before. "Which route is each army taking? What provisions are we taking with us? We can't bring everything. I mean when we turn everyone back to normal there will still be soldiers here. Speaking of the soldiers, won't they just resume fighting once they return to flesh and blood? How are we going to stop them? And the Goddess, what are we going to do about her? Do you have a plan to stop Ashera? You keep walking around here, acting like nothing is wrong and you have all the time in the world, but we don't! We're fighting a god, Ike! How are you going to win? Tell me!"

Micaiah's final words echoed loudly off the walls as she stood there, her chest heaving. Ike let out a sigh and suddenly she saw him undergo an immediate transformation. His shoulders sagged under the weight of everyone's expectations and his arms hung limply at his sides. His face appeared to age and his normally sharp and determined eyes lost their luster and became confused. The mercenary sat at the end of one of the benches and placed his face in his hands. Sitting there, he did not seem as large as he once had. He remained like that and Micaiah felt guilt welling up inside her. Mist had told her to be strong for him, not to tear him down just because she was afraid and angry. Ike eventually lifted his head and Micaiah could feel her chest constricting painfully. He looked lost and broken. There was not a trace of his usual self left. He did not turn away from her though. He held her gaze as he delivered his answer.

"I don't know. I've never fought a god before, but I'll find a way. I promise. I have to or else everything will end."

With that said, Ike got up and walked to the nearest door, and left the dining hall. As his footsteps receded another door burst open.

"How dare you!" Ranulf growled as he stormed towards Micaiah. "I didn't bring him here to see you tonight so you could go and do that! I thought you wanted to see him. I thought you loved him. Apparently I seriously misjudged your character. I thought you were better than that!" Ranulf grabbed a fistful of her cloak and brought her face closer to his. Micaiah could see his bared fangs and how his ears were flattened against his head. The laguz's mismatched eyes narrowed when he recognized what he was holding. "You don't deserve to wear Ike's cape! Who do you think you are? You think you're the only one afraid? You think you're the only one who doesn't believe we will succeed? Ike's human too! He has his doubts about this whole ordeal and he deserves someone who won't tear him down when he needs support!"

Ranulf released his grip and Micaiah dropped to her knees, the strength had gone out of her legs. She sat there and cried silently. After a while she placed her hands on the ground and began apologizing. She repeated the same words over and over again, hoping beyond hope that the laguz captain would forgive her. Ranulf just stood over her with his arms crossed while he tapped his foot, his tail twitched behind him in an irritated fashion.

"Enough already," he finally hissed. He reached down and lifted Micaiah onto her feet. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. It is not too late to salvage this mess you've made. Now, follow me! You are going to go set things right with Ike!"

"N-now?" the silver haired girl stammered as she was dragged off in the direction Ike had gone. "Maybe I should give him a day to-"

"You aren't going to put this off," Ranulf stopped her mid-sentence. "We will all be going our separate ways in two days, and there is no way of knowing for sure that we will survive that long. You will apologize now or I'll make sure you never get close to him again!"

Micaiah had never before seen Ranulf so forceful about anything. The laguz walked all around the keep, with seemingly no actual destination in mind. Micaiah's mind was a mess as she imagined every possible scenario, and all of them ended with an angry rejection from Ike. That terrified her nearly as much as not having the chance to apologize to him. Ranulf led her down to the first level of the keep and off to, what Micaiah guessed, was a door to the servant's quarters. Ranulf planted her in front of the door, gave her a nudge, and strode away. She had never thought of where Ike had been sleeping, but now that she was in front of his temporary room it struck her as odd. The mercenary had made a conscious effort to remove himself from the rest of the survivors since many other quarters of much higher quality still remained on the higher floors. Although, at the same time, Micaiah realized just how fitting the accommodations were for someone like Ike because no matter how powerful or influential he got he would always be at the mercy of those born into power. He had no choice but to serve. The same was true for her as well. She had no choice but to serve Daein after she had decided to be the figurehead for the revolutionary army. It was a small comfort that the two of them were alike in that one aspect. Micaiah rallied her courage, swallowed her doubts, and knocked on the solid wooden door lightly at first, but with increasing intensity until she was practically banging on it. Ike wretched it open so quickly that she nearly stumbled forward. Micaiah was so surprised that for a moment all she could do was stare. Ike's hair was disheveled and he had abandoned all clothes except for his pants. She noticed that he had managed to quickly pull his boots on and had Ragnell drawn. The mercenary looked confused for a second before he understood that there was no imminent fight. He scowled. Micaiah took a few timid steps inside and quietly closed the door. She quickly scanned the room: against the far wall was a bed, to her left was a small dresser with a few candles burning on top of it, and to the right was a high window that let in some moonlight.

"I came to apologize," Micaiah began as Ike sheathed Ragnell making sure to slam it home with added force to express his displeasure. The silver haired girl shifted uncomfortably as she, once again, became aware of the imposing size of the man before her. "I said things I shouldn't have and I'm sorry. It's just that we will be going different ways soon and it seems like you've been avoiding me since you made the decision to separate the armies. I'm afraid and I have no idea if we'll even survive… That is everything I guess. And again, I'm really sorry."

Micaiah stood there for a moment and stared at the ground, waiting for an answer, but none came. She turned to leave, certain she had failed. She wouldn't even forgive herself with such a pathetic apology. To her surprise Ike grabbed her shoulder and turned her around so that they were facing each other.

"I am afraid," he whispered. "I know that it will be me who will have to fight Ashera, Yune has already informed me that I am currently the only one who even has the potential to harm the Goddess of Order. In other words, I'm not even close to being strong enough to win. I know I've been ignoring you, but that has been true for everyone else as well. I've been so occupied with coming up with a way to fight a god that everything else has seemed so irrelevant. That and I've been trying to right all the wrongs I have done against my friends while fighting this war, Sothe was obviously my main concern. He loves you more than I thought, but he seems to be getting better for some reason or another. He wouldn't explain anything to me, but at least that is one worry off of my plate."

"Oh, that's good," Micaiah said, surprised. She had not expected Ike to bring up Sothe. "I have things I would like to explain and apologize for as well. Can we sit?" Ike motioned her towards the bed. Micaiah sat on the mattress, a terribly uncomfortable and scratchy thing filled with straw, and the mercenary positioned himself next to her. "I want to first apologize for all the new scars you have on account of this war. It isn't something Kind Pelleas or anyone else really wanted."

"Don't worry about that. It's not something I ever blamed you for. We knew that there was someone behind the scenes pulling some strings, and we were pretty certain it was the Senate."

"I know, but you were still hurt by my orders," Micaiah pushed on as she grabbed one of Ike's hands. He stared at her a moment and then motioned for her to continue. "Also, you're right about the Senate. They have us wrapped around their finger. The peace treaty Kind Pelleas signed wasn't at all what he thought it was. He was betrayed by his most trusted advisor into signing a blood pact. If he doesn't do as the Senate commands, the pact will be invoked and the citizens of Daein will begin to die. The only way out of the pact is to kill the pact maker and to destroy the actual document."

Ike sat a moment, mulling over the information he had just heard. "As terrible as this may sound, the Goddess Ashera's judgment is almost a blessing. We have the opportunity to end this war without further bloodshed. The Tower of Guidance and the Senate are both in the same location! We take down the Goddess and before the Senate can organize themselves and call their armies, we take them captive!" Ike jumped up excitedly and grinned. "You know hearing myself say it out loud really makes this whole thing seem a little less hopeless."

"Then you should talk to yourself more often," Micaiah giggled as Ike swept her up in his arms.

The mercenary set Micaiah down on her feet again, but she quickly stood on her toes and planted a quick kiss on his lips. The silver haired girl turned, overjoyed that she was on good terms with Ike again, and took a step towards the door. She had intended to leave, but Ike embraced her from behind and held her close to his chest.

"There has always been someone to interrupt us, something always gets in the way, but not tonight," the mercenary whispered directly into her ear. "Tonight, you are mine." Ike pulled Micaiah into his lap as he sat down on the bed. He swept her silver hair to one side, exposing her neck, and planted several kisses on her smooth skin. "It isn't really fair to tease me with just one kiss like that," he breathed heavily as he began to massage Micaiah's breast through her shirt and she let out a soft moan.

**XXX**

The mercenary undid the red cape around Micaiah's shoulders and cast it away. The silver haired girl quickly began working at the numerous clasps that held her pink shirt closed. However, she was finding it increasingly difficult. Her fingers felt numb and clumsy and the tiny clasps seemed like the most complicated mechanism devised by human minds. Micaiah managed to get the clasp at her throat and the second one undone. Ike quickly unhooked the third and the fourth and pulled the shirt over Micaiah's head. She leaned back, wrapping her arms around Ike's neck and lacing her fingers in his hair. The mercenary brought both hands up and continued to massage Micaiah's breasts. She started to grind her hips against Ike and soon felt his erection through his pants. He growled and slid his hand under Micaiah's skirt and leggings. She gasped as he slid his index finger inside of her. The silver haired girl moaned deeply as Ike pumped his finger in and out of her. She pulled her skirt and leggings down and kicked her boots off, exposing herself fully. Ike leaned back on the bed pulling Micaiah down on top of him, wrapped his arm around her, and inserted a second finger inside of her. The girl arched her back and thrust her hips against the mercenary's hand. He pumped his fingers in and out of her harder and faster, encouraged by Micaiah's pleasured moans.

"Ike," she gasped out weakly. "I'm close. Please, I'm so close now." With a few last quick thrusts with his hand Micaiah cried out in an intense orgasm, coating Ike's hand with her juices. She lay on top of him panting for several seconds. "No fair. No fair. When do I get my turn?"

"Right now," Ike growled as he rolled over and pinned Micaiah beneath him.

Micaiah was once again reminded just how massive the mercenary was compared to her, but this time it comforted her. She felt safe and protected beneath him. The silver haired girl propped herself up on her elbows kissed Ike lightly on the lips as he worked his pants off. The sound of his heavy boots thudding to the ground was followed closely by his pants Micaiah wrapped her arms around the mercenary and smiled up at him. Ike positioned himself to enter her already soaking wet vagina. She felt his tip enter and she tensed up.

"Do it quick," Micaiah hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm ready." Ike thrust himself inside of her completely and the girl gasped as the pain hit her. She dug her nails into Ike's back, causing him to bleed. "I – ouch! I wasn't ready! Wait! Please, wait a second. Why can't any part of you be normal sized? I think you broke me!"

"First time?" Ike laughed.

"Of course it is!" Micaiah snapped back. "I'm guessing this isn't your first time!"

"You are my first," Ike soothed as he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. "Just give it a minute. It will start to feel good."

With that the mercenary slowly began to pull out and then gently thrust himself back in. Micaiah winced at first, but soon began to enjoy herself. Ike, noticing the change, immediately began to pick up the pace. He restrained himself though, not wanting to accidently hurt the small girl beneath him, but Micaiah kept urging him on. She begged Ike to go harder even though she was struggling to keep up with the mercenary's powerful thrusts. Ike wrapped an arm around her slender waist and lifted her hips up. As he thrust down he lifted her hips up and Micaiah's face lit up with pure bliss. She wrapped her legs around Ike's waist as he pounded into her.

"I'm close again Ike!" the silver haired girl moaned loudly.

However, the mercenary didn't seem to hear her. He thrust more rapidly and roughly, pushing Micaiah over the edge as a second orgasm sent a tingling shock throughout her body. Ike kept going and each thrust seemed more intense than it had just a second ago. The small girl was filled with an overwhelming feeling of pleasure that caused her to cry out. Her voice hitched every time Ike slammed himself into her again. Then, Micaiah felt an intense warmth inside of her and for a moment the mercenary paused. Ike lowered the silver haired girl down onto the bed again where she lay panting. Micaiah closed her eyes feeling content and satisfied. She was ready for sleep to take her when she suddenly felt herself being turned over.

The silver haired girl propped herself up on her hands and knees and glanced behind her. Ike placed his large hands on her hips and thrust himself inside her again. Micaiah gasped as she felt Ike's penis deeper inside her. The force of the mercenary behind her knocked her forward, but he used his powerful arms to keep control of her body. Every time he thrust in he would pull back on Micaiah's hips. The silver haired girl relished in the intense pleasure she was getting from this new position. She raised her hips up and spread her legs out wider to give Ike better access. Micaiah's arms quickly got tired from the intense pounding she was receiving from behind and she fell forward on her elbows. She felt another orgasm mounting. Ike noticed it too.

"Hold on Micaiah," the mercenary grunted. "Squeeze tighter and hold on!"

The silver haired girl focused all her energy into waiting for Ike. However, with each passing second she felt like she was trying to hold up a dam that was ready to burst. The mercenary could feel how close his partner was. She was barely hanging on, waiting for him. Ike could feel her insides pulsing with anticipation. He looked down and took in the sight before him: Micaiah's shapely hips, unmarred skin, and silver hair splayed about her head in a mussed fashion were maddening. She glanced back over her shoulder and Ike caught the pleading look in her eye and the flushed look on her face. He was so close, but Micaiah was about to lose it. Without thinking, he shoved his index finger into her butt just before he thrust himself in one last time. Micaiah couldn't hold back any longer. Her orgasm shook her whole body and it was enough to bring Ike to a climax as well. The silver haired girl collapsed onto her side panting and shaking. Ike lay down beside her.

"No fair," Micaiah managed to squeak out, all of her strength had left her body. "That part at the end, no fair."

"Not fair?" Ike chuckled as he kissed the girl on the forehead. "You really seemed to enjoy that little bit at the end. Something to look forward to in the future."

Micaiah blushed at that last comment but was too tired to make any kind of retort. She snuggled up closer to Ike and he wrapped his arms around her. Completely exhausted and content, they both fell asleep.

* * *

**I would like to apologize for being gone for so long. My absence was only supposed to be those two months, but my laptop broke and I didn't have an immediate need to replace it. My schedule was packed all through my spring semester. When summer hit, I left the civilized society behind and spent the majority of the time in the desert and mountains in the American southwest. I'm not kidding either, that is where I was all summer. I only recently replaced my laptop, it was early September I believe. Since then I've been writing and trying to finish the story. I had been gone a long time already, a few more months couldn't hurt too much. Well, the story is just about wrapped up now. I will be posting each chapter every Saturday until the end of it. Again, sorry for my long absence and I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Leave a comment on your way out and I'll see the lot of you next week. Actually, it will be Friday. I have an event in New York this Saturday and Sunday and won't have access to my computer so the next chapter will be up Friday. **


	30. The Final Journey

Hero and a Priestess

* * *

The third day dawned. The final preparations were being made, everyone received an assignment to an army, but most of the time was spent waiting around for the day of departure. The full weight of their task fell upon everyone's mind as the hours slowly dragged by. Most people kept to themselves and remained silent. Ike spent the majority of his time with Soren, checking to make sure that the Greil Army was properly provisioned. Micaiah spent her time in a similar fashion with Nolan and the numerous other leaders in her group. At lunch time the two ate together, but said very little. They had had their moment. Micaiah was content with how events had played out. Ike remained his usual stern and focused self on the outside, but the silver haired girl noticed a slight change in the mercenary. Micaiah thought she could see a fire burning in Ike's eyes, something she had never seen before. No one else seemed to notice the change, but whomever Ike talked to was more at ease for a while and more confident. Micaiah was a bit surprised at just how much a few words and a pat on the shoulder from the mercenary could lift a person's spirits. She had always known that Ike's true power was not in strength of arms, but his ability to inspire confidence in people. The day drew to a close, the first sentries took their posts, and everyone did their best to sleep. Ike and Micaiah retired to her room. Neither had any romantic intentions for that night, they just wanted to spend a little more time in each other's company before they had to leave in the morning. They lay in bed, holding each other, not wanting the night to pass but knowing that nothing would stop the approach of dawn. Reluctantly they allowed sleep to take them.

The much anticipated and greatly dreaded day of departure finally arrived. Nox castle was emptied of the three armies and they all assembled with their respective commanders. All supplies for the journey had been loaded into wagons driven by the merchants; everyone shouldered whatever personal gear they kept on hand and awaited the order to march. Ike hopped up into the driver's seat of one of the wagons and a hush fell over the crowds before him.

"Today is the day we have been preparing for," the mercenary began in a booming voice. "Our goal is to reach the Tower of Guidance and stop the Goddess Ashera. Whichever army arrives at the capital first should scout out the city, send a message to the herons, and wait for the other armies. If you lose contact with one of the armies assume that they have been eliminated and carry on without them. We are all that stands between the people of this world and utter destruction! I wish you all the very best of luck. Commanders, take charge of your armies! Move out!"

No one cheered at the conclusion of Ike's speech. However, everyone felt a mortal resolve enter their hearts. They would succeed in this final task or they will all die in the attempt. Ike leapt down off of the wagon and the crowd parted before him. As the mercenary began to make his way through it Ranulf appeared at his side.

"Ike, there's something I've been meaning to tell you," the cat whispered into his friend's ear. "I meant to tell you sooner, but with the preparations and you and Micaiah getting together it… Well, I just put it off. Listen, if you run into Zelgius don't trust him. He's the Black Knight!" Ike scowled and his eyes narrowed. "I'm the only one who has fought both of them and lived to tell about it. The way they fight, the way they move, it's all too similar to be a coincidence. Just be careful out there."

"Thanks," Ike said as he turned and placed a hand on Ranulf's shoulder. "I hope to see you on the other side of this mess. Stay safe out there."

The laguz captain nodded and dashed off to join Tibarn. Without any more talking the mercenary motioned for his troops to begin their long march. Ike took the lead and set a brisk pace. The other two armies followed suite and trailed along behind the Greil Army, but towards the end of the day the three groups were moving in their own direction. The Silver Army was the first to turn south and head through a gap in the southern Daein mountains. Neither Ike nor Micaiah stopped for a final goodbye or even spared a parting glance. They would hold their reunion at the Tower of Guidance if both of them managed to reach it alive. Eventually the Greil Army had to turn south and follow the main highway out of Daein and into Begnion. Ike marched on in silence, wanting to cover as much ground as quickly as possible. He had no idea if there was a time restraint on their mission. How long would it take the Goddess Ashera to be able to gather enough strength to destroy the world? That single thought was all that filled the mercenary's mind and it worried him to no end. Had he been able to march endlessly to the Tower of Guidance, he would have. However, he knew that they were likely to be faced with some kind of resistance along the way and eventually called a halt to the march an hour before sundown. Ike set the watches for the night, helped setup camp, and ordered everyone to get to sleep as soon as possible.

At dawn the next morning the Greil Army was already marching down the main highway. By midday they reached the Daein border and Ike called for a quick halt so that everyone could get some rest and food. During this short break Titania approached her commander and sat down with him.

"We just received word from Leanne concerning the Silver Army," the red headed woman began slowly. "They were attacked this morning. There were no casualties on our side, but there is something a bit worrying in the report. The attackers appeared as if out of thin air. The assailing group called themselves the Disciples of Order and are Begnion military. However, the part that bothers me is that Sigrun said the majority of the soldiers were recruits, low ranking soldiers, and newly commissioned officers. This group managed to really press the Silver Army and give them a lot of trouble."

"The Goddess must have blessed their equipment," Ike interrupted. "It's probably similar to my sword and the Black Knight's armor, except their blessing would be a lot weaker since there are so many of them. This is actually good news." Titania gave her commander a confused look and waited for an explanation. "If Ashera continues using her power to bless all the weapons and armor of her soldiers, then it will take her much longer to build up enough strength to destroy the world. It gives us some breathing room at the very least."

"I guess that is one way to look at it," Titania mused. "Those poor souls, though. I feel sorry for them. They are being deceived and cast away as disposable pieces in a grand game. They don't even realize how worthless their lives are in the eyes of a god that plans to exterminate our kind anyways."

"Don't let it bother you too much," Ike said sternly. "I'll kill these few fools in order to save everyone who is encased in stone and to protect the future generations of this world. When all is said and done, these Disciples of Order will amount to nothing more than a drop of water in the ocean. Now, prepare to march again. We've rested here long enough and we still have a lot of ground to cover."

The brief rest over, the Greil Army continued their march south. They went on until the sun began its westward decent. As dusk approached, Ike called for another halt. He wanted the group to set up camp atop a hill surrounded by some dense tree coverage. The mercenary wanted a barrier set up around their camp that night. Boyd, Gatrie, and Volug volunteered for the task of felling a few trees and laying them across three sides of the camp. The north side did not need a barricade since the trees grew so close together there that a single man would find it nearly impossible to walk through. Also, there grew in abundance at the base of the trees great thorny bushes. Once the camp was well on its way to being set up, Ike went to join the other three men in setting up the defense for the night. Once the barriers had been erected on all sides the men decided that their make-shift wall was suitable enough to slow down any attackers. As the sun set Ike ordered that the fire be built up so that everything within their walls was touched by the light.

"Remember everyone," the mercenary began, "this enemy appears suddenly as if out of thin air. There is no sign of their approach and they fight to the last man. Keep your weapons close tonight. The Silver Army was attacked early this morning and I'm guessing tonight will be our turn. Sleep well while you can."

Ike went to the tent where his bedroll had been laid. To save on space only three large tents had been packed and everyone slept together in them, except the Dragon Prince and his servant. That bothered Ike to no end, but Ena insisted that the prince was ill and needed to have the space to himself in order to recover. The selfishness made the mercenary's blood boil and he had adamantly refused the request until he saw that Ena was going to attempt to carry the thing on her own so that the prince could have his wish. He couldn't have her carry that big tent all the way to the Tower of Guidance, she may have been a dragon laguz, but such a burden would exhaust her and leave her unable to fight.

"Commander Ike, may I have a quick word with you?" a gentle voice that the mercenary recognized as Ena's called from outside of the tent. He got up and went out to her. The pink dragon girl fidgeted nervously, took a deep breath, and looked up at Ike. "I have a request. You think that there will be an attack on us this evening. If that does occur, I cannot aid you. The Prince is not-" Ike quickly turned and swallowed his anger before he said something he would regret. Ena quickly tried to explain and defend Kurthnaga. "He is not well and being in my transformed state would frighten him! Please, keep the fighting away from his tent. I will stand guard at the entrance, but I will be as you see me now."

"Fine! I'll do what I can," Ike growled as he tried to remember that he shouldn't direct his anger towards Ena. "But this is getting out of hand. The two of you are a burden on this operation right now. Tell Kurthnaga to stop feeling sorry for himself or he will have to leave! I know he isn't sick. He's scared of battle and blood. If he can't fight, then he is of no use to me or anyone else here. Make sure you get that message through to him!"

Ena nodded and quickly left. Too agitated for sleep Ike stalked over to Boyd, who had managed to draw the first watch for the night. The two men greeted each other, but silence immediately followed. The mercenaries walked along the perimeter of the camp scanning the growing darkness for any sign of an attack. The moon began to rise and the end of the watch cycle was nearing completion when Boyd finally decided to start talking.

"Do you really think this," he poked the shaft of his ax into the meager wall of pine needles, "will be enough to keep out any kind of attacker?"

"It's only meant to slow them down, not stop them."

"Slow them down?" Boyd snickered. "This probably couldn't even slow down Rolf!"

"Hey!" Ike snapped. "You shouldn't talk about your brother like that! That kid is tough and has been through a hell of a lot for being as young as he is!"

"It was a joke! I know how tough my brother is and how much he has been through. I was there, for all of it! This isn't like you Ike. What's going on in that head of yours? I know something has to be bothering you."

Ike sighed and stared out into the darkness for a while. "Have you ever thought about another line of work?" Boyd thought for a moment and nodded. "Titania said something today that got me thinking. She called these Disciples of Order 'poor fools' out of pity. The country they live in has religion so deeply rooted in their lives that they can't even see or understand what is happening to them. I know that the world isn't ideal and that fighting is a necessity, but I'm done with killing. Once this is all over that is. I'd like to try my hand at some other occupation because no matter what angle I look at my life from, I'm little more than a glorified murderer."

Boyd stood for a moment, carefully selecting the words he wanted to use. However, at that moment, flashes of light began to appear at the base of their hill and throughout the woods. The two mercenaries knew full well that these were the Disciples of Order that had attacked the Silver Army that morning. Queen Nailah came rushing out of her tent to confirm that a large force had suddenly appeared all around them. Ike began shouting for the rest of the camp to wake up, that they were about to be attacked. A fireball blasted a hole through the pine tree wall showering the three members of the Greil Army with burning embers. Another explosion lit up the eastern side of the camp and Nailah dashed off in that direction, shifting into her wolf form as she went. The horses screamed and Titania, Oscar, and Mist quickly rushed to calm their mounts before the beasts bolted. Ike drew his sword and turned his attention to where his enemies would be coming from. Out of the darkness came a wave of soldiers charging up the hill. The fire light glinted off of their golden armor. Ike stepped up alongside Boyd. The two men engaged the first few enemies, but dozens rushed past or climbed over the meager barrier. As soon as he cut down his last enemy Ike turned back towards the camp. The rest of the mercenaries had managed to form a line in front of the tents and had held the attackers at bay. Titania and Oscar had abandoned their mounts to Mist's care and were fighting on foot. Soren was manipulating the bonfire in the center of the camp with his wind magic to set enemies ablaze. Gatrie had only managed to get his breast plate on and was bleeding from numerous cuts on his arms and thighs. Mia and Heather struggled to keep a group of spear wielders from skewering them. Shinon had a crossbow in his arms, but he had already fired the bolt and was using the weapon as a club to defend himself. Aran stood alone with a broken spear as he fended off attacks with his shield. Rhys did his best to blast enemies away with his magic, but the armor that the Disciples wore turned most of his spells.

Ike charged in and drove Ragnell through the back of the nearest soldier he could find. Boyd swung his ax into another enemy, but his blow only managed to dent the blessed armor. The man turned and the mercenary hacked at the unprotected sword arm. The limb dropped to the ground and Boyd quickly finished the Disciple off with a hard strike to the throat. The two wolves threw themselves into the fray, fangs already dripping with blood. The remaining Disciples were subdued with a considerable effort. Ike looked around at the camp and his mercenaries with their notched weapons, severely damaged armor, and numerous wounds. He had a feeling the attack was only just beginning. He ordered that everyone be fully outfitted in their armor and to tend to their injuries as quickly as possible. Rhys and Mist quickly began mending the worst injuries. Most dropped their damaged weapons in favor of the blessed ones that the Disciples had been carrying in hopes that they would be more effective. Titania and Oscar outfitted their horses with armor and mounted the beasts. Rolf came out of the woods north of the camp where he had retreated to at the beginning of the attack. His quiver of arrows was empty and for the first time Ike noticed that a good many of the dead Disciples had arrows sticking out of their throats. Rafiel sang to the group and they could feel some strength returning to them.

The Greil Army just finished healing and preparing for the next wave of attackers when the whole forest around them lit up as Disciples of Order arrived on the battlefield. Ike sent Rolf, Shinon, and Soren to defend the west side of the camp. That was the only part that still had a standing barrier and the ranged attacks would be best utilized there. The two wolves, the three mounted units, and Rafiel went to the broken eastern barrier to hold back any attackers. Ike kept the rest of his force to defend the southern slope of the hill. Gatrie stood at the center of the formation with Ike and Boyd flanking him. Mia and Aran took position slightly behind the front line to protect Rhys and Heather, who were in the back. The thief had a handful of powerful magic cards. The Disciples came charging out of the darkness, but this time the mercenaries were prepared for the attack. They pushed their enemies back down the hill and waited for the next charge. Again and again the Disciples assailed the mercenaries and each time they were thrown back into the darkness of night.

"It's time to end this!" Ike roared as they stopped another attack by the Disciples. "Charge!"

Rhys shot a bright light into the sky that lit the forest up as if the sun had risen. The Greil Army could see, for the first time, just how many of their assailants were left standing. The mercenaries matched up in numbers with the remaining Disciples. Ike spotted the commander, a young woman looking very much like the minor nobility that abounded in Begnion. She sat atop a pegasus with a group of guards surrounding her. The mercenaries charged down the hill into the remaining Disciples. Ike didn't even bother with the guards. He went straight for the commander, but she took to the air before he could strike her down. Despite the number of men she had lost she wore a confident smirk, even as the last of her guards were killed. Ike gripped Ragnell and launched a blast of energy at the one remaining enemy. The pegasus dipped to the right and avoided the attack, but it nearly unseated the rider in the process. Sigrun had been right; no veteran flier would be so affected by such a routine dodge. This girl was probably nothing more than a cadet from a military academy.

"Scum," she began haughtily. Shinon nocked an arrow and drew back his bowstring, but Ike motioned for him to stop. "You are all a festering wound in what would be a pristine world. My task is to purge you and make this land clean once again. The Goddess Ashera has saved me and the Disciples of Order from stone to do just this."

"Leave this one to me," Ike said to his group. In a much louder voice he addressed his enemy. "You are being deceived. The one who turned you to stone was the Goddess Ashera. The only reason you've been resurrected now is because you can serve some usefulness. You're task isn't to kill us; Ashera knows full well that the likes of you could never manage that. No, you're only meant to slow us down and maybe cripple some of our warriors. Either way, you're meant to die."

"That's a lie!"

"Even if you do survive this fight-"

"Shut up!"

"the Goddess is going to wipe out all the people-"

"I said shut up!"

"living in this world anyways."

The enemy commander let out a cry and swooped down at Ike. The mercenary raised Ragnell and struck as his enemy passed. His sword knocked the incoming spear away from his body and tore a fatal gash in the pegasus. The poor beast screamed as it bucked it's rider from the saddle. Rolf quickly silenced the animal with an arrow. Ike approached his enemy who struggled into a sitting position. Even now her eyes showed no fear. She truly believed that just because the Goddess was on her side that she could not be defeated. Ike placed the tip of Ragnell's blade at the center of the girl's breast plate.

"Go on," she jeered. "Do it! My armor is blessed by the Goddess herself! No weapon can harm me."

Ike leaned against his sword and it easily passed through the girl's body. The blade alarmed her. She stared at it as if she couldn't believe what had just happened. She looked up at Ike and for the first time he saw fear in her eyes. She realized that everything he had told her was the truth. Her hand reached out for the man she had wanted purged from the world only a second ago and Ike took hold of it. The mercenary knelt down beside the dying girl, his sword keeping her pinned to the ground, and patted her head. Tears began pouring out of her eyes. Ike watched as the life drained out of the Disciple commander. When he was certain she was dead he drew Ragnell out of her chest. The mercenary stared down at his slain enemy and realized, too late, that this was just another face that would haunt him at night.

"Everyone get some sleep," he sighed. "There won't be another attack tonight and we all need the rest. We are still marching at dawn. We have to reach the Tower as soon as possible and put an end to this."

The mercenaries got back to camp and simply stepped over or around the bodies that littered the ground. Everyone's goal was to get into the tents and go to sleep. However, Ike had one more matter he had to deal with. The mercenary entered the tent of the dragon prince and was somewhat relieved to see that Ena had not come to any harm during the initial attack. Kurthnaga on the other had began to stir and moan as soon as Ike came close. The prince pointed a shaky finger at the blood covering most of Ragnell's blade. Too exhausted to argue, Ike deposited his sword outside.

"I'm getting tired of this, Kurthnaga," Ike stated flatly. "I need you to be like you were the week before the Goddess's Judgment turned everyone to stone."

"No!" the prince shouted as he shot upright. His eyes were wild with fear. "I can't be like that ever again! I should never have been there in the first place. No, I can't do it!"

"Why? What are you afraid of?"

"Myself!" Kurthnaga wrapped his arms around his knees and stared off into space as he relived the battle. "I lost control and killed so many people. I can still see them, when I close my eyes. I can't forget that day and it frightens me. And then there was the pain of being electrocuted and shot and cut. The pain scares me too! I can't fight anymore."

"You have a power that very few left in this world can match," Ike began. "You can do a lot of good with that strength of yours. We need you to be able to fight. The attack tonight proves that our enemy is incredibly strong. Having your strength added to ours would greatly benefit our efforts." The prince remained unresponsive. Ike pressed on hoping that something would win the dragon prince back. "I have nightmares all the time. I can never escape the battlefield. I'm afraid to go to sleep most nights, but I know that the lives I've taken have been for a good cause. I hate having to kill, but sometimes it is necessary."

"You're a mercenary," Kurthnaga mumbled. "Killing is your job. I doubt it bothers you that much."

The dragon prince pulled the covers over his head, rolled over, and pretended to be asleep. Ena tried to apologies for the prince's harsh words, but Ike didn't bother listening. He stumbled out of the tent and walked to the center of camp. He stared down at the numerous bodies and felt sick. The mercenary sank to his knees and began removing the helmets that covered the faces of his dead enemies. Every face he saw in the dying light of the fire was young and pale; most seemed to be around Mist and Rolf's age. Children that stood no chance of surviving. Ike pounded the ground with his fist as tears began to well up in his eyes. He detested the idea of continuing but knew that he couldn't stop.

"I'm sorry," Ike croaked out weakly. "I'm so sorry."

A wave of emotions washed over the mercenary, breaking whatever restraints he had left in place. Ike spent the night hunched over near the dying fire, weeping over the untold number of people that had died at his hand and his command.

* * *

**I know I promised more updates, but I've been so focused on studying for finals that it drove all else from my mind. Also, I've had some intense family problems that I had to intervene in. Now, I'm leaving for two months. Anyways, I'll have the rest of the updates when I return. Please review and I'll see you in two months.**


	31. Descending on the Capitol

Hero and a Priestess

* * *

**I have returned, as promised, to deliver the next chapter. I am glad to be back. These past two months have just been exhausting. Anyways, the story continues. Enjoy.**

* * *

The Silver Army trudged through the deep sands of the Grann Desert. The entire company was weighed down with the supplies from the merchant's wagons, which were not able to cross the northern mountains bordering the desert. They would have been a major hindrance in the soft sand had they been brought along anyways. The horses that had been pulling the merchant's wagons shouldered as much of the load as they safely could. The three pegasus and two wyvern had been requisitioned to carry more of baggage, their riders forced to walk. Still, there was more than the animals could carry. What was left was distributed as evenly as possible. The packs that each person carried under other circumstances would have been considered reasonable felt unbearable. The soft sand gave way underfoot making progress slow and exhausting. The desert sun, which many had welcomed at first in exchange for the northern cold, had quickly become a problem. Many members of the army were getting sunburns after their long months under the winter clouds of Daein that always threatened snow. The heat of the day was tolerable, but the nights were dangerously cold. The whole expedition was taking a major toll on everyone. They tried to hasten through the desert, but the sight of the southern mountains never seemed to come into view.

The sun was at its peak and the Silver Army was just breaking from a brief rest to eat. Micaiah grudgingly shouldered her pack. It was lighter than most containing food and water for her personal use as well as a tome of light magic. She carried a healing staff as well. It had served as a walking stick in the mountains, but sunk into the soft sand when she leaned on it now. The weight was constantly decreasing, which came as both a relief and a concern to Micaiah. There was nowhere that the army could replenish their supply of water from that anyone knew of until after they exited the desert. The silver haired girl looked around and saw that most everyone was prepared to march again. She trudged over to Skrimir and asked him to give the order. The lion prince's voice carried in a way her voice never could. With everyone slowly starting to move south once more, Micaiah retreated within herself. She didn't want to have to think about the endless sand dunes that stretched all the way to the horizon. As a mage she could mold the sand into a more solid surface beneath her feet, so she, Sanaki, and Laura were probably faring better than everyone else. Still, Micaiah had trouble ignoring the constant ache in her thighs and ankles that came from walking on such a soft surface.

'_Yune? Yune are you there?'_ Micaiah called out with her mind. She felt the familiar presence return to her body. _'Could you switch with me? I could use a quick rest.'_

The Goddess of Chaos consented without a word and gently took command. Yune made a few complaints about the cumbersome nature of a physical body. Afterwards, she remained completely silent. Micaiah let her mind drift and her consciousness fade. With Yune in command of her body she had little to worry about. However, Micaiah felt a sudden spike in emotions followed by an enormous surge of power that startled her back into awareness. The silver haired girl stumbled and nearly fell as control of her body was unexpectedly returned. Yune's presence had once again vanished. The world was shrouded in darkness and the air was filled with swirling sand and howling wind. Micaiah covered her mouth and nose with her cloak and waited for the sand storm to pass. The raging winds quickly died down and the desert settled once again. The members of the Silver Army glanced at each other, concerned that the Grann Desert might best them.

"What-what was that?" Sanaki asked. Micaiah did her best not to jump at the closeness of the young empress. "I was talking with the Goddess Yune, I had meant to speak with you, about the nature of the gods when…"

"She was very upset," Micaiah replied wondering what exactly had been said.

"The Goddess Yune said that unchecked emotional outbursts could have very negative effects on the world. I never imagined just what kind of power could be unleashed."

"Disciples!" the cry came from the front of the column.

Everyone quickly ditched their cumbersome packs and readied their weapons. The fliers rushed to their mounts, cut the baggage free, and leapt up into the saddle. Micaiah ran to the front of the column to survey the field. The Disciples of Order were still appearing in pillars of light. A few lines of sand dunes broke up the field in several places, but the majority of the enemy forces were forming up in the center on flat ground. Micaiah thought for a moment, several images of the coming battle flashed through her mind.

"Skrimir, lead the main force down to meet the Disciples of Order. Harr, take the fliers south behind that line of dunes and then attack the enemy from behind. Sothe and Sanaki will be with me. Leanne will accompany the fliers. Laura goes with the main force."

Micaiah glanced worriedly at her friends. They all looked so tired. The Disciples, in contrast, were fresh and full of energy. The Silver Army would have an incredibly difficult time dealing with their enemies. Swallowing her doubts and concerns, Micaiah began to move east. She had sensed that help would come from that direction and that it would appear only to her. Skrimir's roar as he shifted into his lion form signaled the charge for the Silver Army. Micaiah clambered up the eastern line of sand dunes as quickly as she could with Sanaki close by her side. Sothe was struggling to keep up because his feet kept sinking down into the sand. At the top of the dune the two mages saw a few Disciples on foot trying to attack the army from its flank. However, the armored men were struggling to keep their balance and were making slow progress. Sanaki pointed into the sky where several wyvern riders were fast approaching. The young empress knocked one out of the sky with a surprisingly powerful burst of thunder magic. Micaiah had to cast several of her light spells to take out the second wyvern and by then Sanaki had already dispatched of the third.

Sothe pushed past the two mages and parried an incoming blow from a Disciple's ax. Micaiah and Sanaki stumbled; they had not expected the armored men to be able to reach them so quickly. Both girls thanked the Sothe as they cast spells from behind his back. Just as the last of the Disciples in their immediate area fell a flash of light brought about another, incredibly large, figure.

"Maiden," the Black Knight said flatly. "I have been sent here to bring you to the Tower of Guidance."

"What-what of my friends?" Micaiah stammered as she tried to get over the shock of the knight's sudden appearance. "I'm not leaving them behind."

The Black Knight stood, as if considering what to do next. It unnerved her how inhuman he was. There had to be a living person inside the suit of armor. She had seen him bleed before when Ike cut him. It was easy to forget though.

"Very well," the large knight finally responded. "I shall lend my aid to your group, for now. Afterwards, we will talk."

With that said he vanished in a flash of light and reappeared in the midst of the Disciples of Order that had been engaged with the Silver Army. The Black Knight drew his blade and unleashed an enormous blast of energy. He turned and began cutting down anyone within the reach of his blade. The Disciples began fighting each other to get away from the terror that was the Black Knight. He was single-handedly winning the fight for the Silver Army. Skrimir, not wanting to be outdone, leapt back into the fray. The lion mauled anything that he could get his paws on. The rest of the Silver Army pressed the advantage the Black Knight gave them and drove the Disciples back. Harr led the fliers in from the western flank. He and Jill landed their large wyverns in the midst of the failing Disciple ranks crushing several. Many turned to flee only to have the three pegasus knights swoop out of the sky, spear them, and fly back up to safety.

Micaiah led her group down off of the dune and began to move south. They were still elevated above the main field of battle. It startled everyone as several Disciples clambered up the side of the sand dune as they attempted to escape the slaughter of the Silver Army. Sothe began tossing knives down at the approaching enemy. Sanaki quickly stepped up next to him and used a combination of wind and flames to send waves of white hot sand crashing down on the fleeing Disciples. Micaiah had to admit that despite the lavish life Sanaki had lived as an empress she was a formidable mage in battle. Suddenly aware that she had not yet done anything the silver haired girl turned her attention to the approaching enemy. She was dismayed to see that several had made it to the top of the dune near her. She quickly aimed a spell at the nearest soldier's leg. The magic tore through mail and flesh and the man went down screaming. The other two advanced on her quickly. Micaiah stumbled backwards as steel descended towards her. She threw up her healing staff and tome in defense. The blade snapped her staff and knocked her tome out of her hand. The force of the blow also sent the silver haired girl to the ground. Micaiah became filled with dread and was frozen in place as she watched the sword descend for a second time. There was an unexpected ring as steel clashed with steel. The silver haired girl could barely believe her luck as she saw a second sword guarding her. She blasted her assailant away with a powerful spell and regained her feet. Her savior finished off the other two Disciples before turning to face her. He was a large man with shaggy green hair.

"Who are you?"

"Isn't it rude to ask someone's name before first introducing yourself?" he countered not impolitely.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Micaiah of Daein. Why did you save me?"

"I'm Stefan and those of us born under the same fate must protect each other."

"Same fate?" Micaiah asked half knowing the answer but still wanting to hear this newcomer say it. However, Stefan had already descended the dune and thrown himself into what remained of the Disciples of Order.

"I had all but forgotten about the settlement out here," Sothe said as he came up behind Micaiah. "I should have known Stefan wouldn't have been turned to stone." Sanaki nodded in agreement and the silver haired girl realized that Stefan must have been fought for Ike in the war against the Mad King. "That man was the one who really polished Ike's swordsmanship and turned him into the beast we all know today."

"We can catch up with old friends later," Micaiah grumbled as she was reminded again about how much almost everyone else knew about Ike compared to her. "There are still some Disciples left."

As the silver haired girl descended the dune towards the few remaining enemies she heard several howls of rage followed by a bout of nervous laughter. Micaiah stopped short causing Sothe and Sanaki to nearly crash into her back. The three watched as members of the Dawn Brigade rushed past the few remaining Disciples to get at the commander. The man in white robes retreated as quickly as he could while casting spells at his oncoming attackers. It was not enough. The Dawn Brigade caught him, cut him down, and continued to hack at the corpse even after it was obvious the man was dead. Horrified by their friends' behavior Micaiah and Sothe rushed forward to stop the mutilation of the dead man's body. Before they could reach it the crowd was parted by Nolan who swiftly decapitated the body and triumphantly lifted the head up. The older man turned and, when he saw Micaiah, tossed the severed head at her feet.

"Now our countrymen can rest easy in their graves," Nolan sighed as his battle rage subsided. He spat. "But there will be no peace for Duke Numida!"

Micaiah glanced down at the head of the man who she had fought to overthrow for nearly a full year. Back then she had been full of anger for the mistreatment of her people that she may have, in a moment of intense passion, taken the head of this same man. Now though, she almost pitied the merciless way he had been cut down. She looked to her friends and could see in their eyes conflicted feelings. They all knew that there had been no need to savage a dead man's body. Micaiah looked away and saw the Black Knight approaching.

"Sir Knight," she greeted him formally. "You have once again saved me and my friends from danger and for that I thank you."

"Then perhaps you will be more willing to listen to my request this time. Come with me to meet my master at the Tower of Guidance. If you take my hand we shall be there in the blink of an eye."

Micaiah could hear the Silver Army shifting around her. They were uncertain what her answer would be. The Tower of Guidance was their destination and everyone wanted to be out of the desert. Would she take the easy way out and abandon them? Micaiah could sense the doubts in everyone's mind and it irritated her that her friends would even consider her doing that.

"Who is your master?" she finally asked.

"You shall see when we get there," the Black Knight replied as if she had already agreed to go. He extended his hand to her.

Micaiah squared her shoulders, crossed her arms, and in a firm voice said "no" to the Black Knight. The helmeted head cocked to one side and the silver haired girl could only imagine the puzzled look on the man's face. The Black Knight shook his head and took several steps back.

"That is most disappointing. The Light of Judgment will strike again. When it does, your friends will all be turned to stone and there is nothing you can do to stop this from happening!"

The Black Knight disappeared in a flash of light leaving everyone too stunned to move or speak. Micaiah could feel the fear of her friends. The same thought was on her mind as well: how much time do we have? Micaiah called for Leanne. She told the heron to relay what the Black Knight had said to the other two armies. The silver haired girl quickly found Skrimir. The lion was had his arms crossed and was impatiently grinding his teeth.

"Tell everyone to take anything useful from the dead and to gather their packs. We need to get moving as soon as possible."

Skrimir nodded and began to relay Micaiah's orders. The silver haired girl watched as her exhausted army set to work with an urgency that imminent doom brings on. She only hoped that they had enough time to reach the Tower of Guidance before the second coming of the Light of Judgment.

* * *

"Ike!" Queen Nailah shouted over the din of battle. "Ike we just received some really bad news from Micaiah! The Light of Judgment is going to strike a second time and soon!"

"You have got to be kidding me!" Ike roared as he cut down a Disciple. "Mercenaries fall back! We're done here!"

The Greil Army cut down the enemies nearest them and then quickly fled back into the forest. The Disciples of Order chased after them for a short distance, as they had done many time before, but they quickly returned to their positions guarding the road south. The mercenaries ran all the way back to their camp, some way north of the Disciple blockade on the road. Many people quickly sat down in exhaustion. They had been trying to break through the Disciple's ranks or sneak around them for days, but they had failed every time. These soldiers were disciplined, well trained, and had a considerably larger force.

"Soren, bring me a map!" Ike ordered. The mercenary was frustrated and on edge especially with the news from the Silver Army.

The company tactician went to go retrieve a map of the empire. The Greil Army's advance south had gone well until they had reached the province of Gaddos. There the Disciples of Order had set up a large blockade on the road and built some minor fortifications. They even had the foresight to place large forces to the east and west of the road. Soren returned with the map and handed it to Ike. The large mercenary looked it over quickly. He growled angrily before handing the thing back to Soren.

"Listen up!" Ike called. "We aren't going to be able to break through this Disciple blockade. They are too many and we are few. And, as we have learned, we aren't able to sneak around either. With a second coming of the Light of Judgment we need to reach the Tower of Guidance. That means finding another route. Lake Semper is to the east, so there is no going that way. The Silver Army went south through the Grann Desert. We will not be following them. That leaves the far western route past Serenes Forest. This means we are going to be marching hard. We're travelling light. Carry only food, water, and your weapons. We will post no watches at night, but we will be marching from dawn until dusk. Now gather your things and prepare to move out!"

The Greil Army looked at Ike as if he had grown a second head. This new plan of action of his was madness! How did he expect them to cover that great a distance before the second coming of the Light of Judgment? Still, the mercenaries all moved to obey as quickly as possible. Even Aimee began to remove as much unnecessary baggage as should could from her cart. Within an hour everyone was ready to go. Ike took one look at what was being left behind before taking off at brisk jog. Everyone on foot silently groaned at the pace their leader was setting, but did their best to follow. The only comfort the Greil Army took was that their new route would be over mostly flat ground. That still did not detract from the fact that they were practically going to run around the entirety of the Grann Desert!

As the sun set on the first day the Greil Army reached the large estate of the governor of Seliora. After a brief sweep of the property, everyone was relieved to find that the place was empty. The exhausted mercenaries found a bed or sofa, ate something, and went to sleep. The dawn came too early. Everyone gathered their gear and mustered outside of the estate. Ike announced that he wanted to reach the estate in the province of Tanas. Most doubted they had the energy to make such a long march in a single day, but they would have to try for it. The few with horses had switched with some people who had been on foot the day before. Everyone else tried to get a ride in Aimee's cart. The only one who remained on foot from the previous day was Ike and the two wolves. The large mercenary once again set the pace at a quick jog and everyone else did their best to keep up.

The army rounded the northern mountains surrounding the Grann Desert early in the morning. Ike pressed on knowing full well that their journey was only a quarter of the way done. By midday many of the mercenaries were constantly stumbling and nearly falling over. It was at this time that Ike called the first halt. Nearly everyone collapsed on the ground in exhaustion. Those that had been in Aimee's cart or on horseback quickly went to help those that had been on foot. Ike paced around with his hands on his hips trying to regain his breath.

"Drink some water, stretch your muscles, and get something to eat," the large mercenary panted between breathes. "We march again in thirty minutes."

A few of the mercenaries grumbled, most were too tired to say anything. They did follow Ike's instructions though. Before long, the Greil Army was on the move again. As the mountains to the east died down into smaller hills and the Grann Desert eventually became visible, Ike slowed the pace down to a walk. They had covered an absurd distance in just a day and a half and they were very near to their destination. Ike hated to admit it, but not even he would have been able to keep running much longer at his previous pace. There was also the possibility of another encounter with the Disciples of Order as well. That was particularly worrying because he had just run his army into the ground try to cover as large a distance as possible. A gust of wind caught Ike's attention. He looked up into the sky and was alarmed at the massive black clouds advancing towards them from the west. They would all be drenched before they reached the estate. Ike looked around and the rest of the Greil Army seemed to be having similar thoughts about the coming rain. None had the energy left to run to shelter and so they simply continued their march.

First came the darkness as the clouds hid the sun on its western descent, then the howling wind, and finally the rain. It started slowly at first with a few drops here and there. However, the clouds soon unleashed their full load upon the Greil Army. The mercenaries were drenched within seconds. When they finally arrived at the large estate that had belonged to the former Duke of Tanas, they charged in without a second thought. Everyone began searching for dry clothes, wood for a fire, and food.

"Ike," Soren called with a note of concern in his voice. He looked around for a few moments before continuing. "Ike something isn't right here."

"Soren's right," Titania chimed in as she joined the other two. "The Senate was supposed to have confiscated these lands after Oliver was found guilty of owning a heron slave. By law, no one should be living here."

"And yet it is painfully obvious that someone has been living here," Soren concluded. "This place is spotless. It wouldn't surprise me if we found a good stock of firewood and a full pantry to go along with it."

"We'll also probably find the statue of whatever squatters are living here as well," Ike added. "Until we are attacked I am going to consider this an enormous stroke of good luck. I think it would be good to rest here a while. The food and warm beds will revitalize everyone."

Ike, Soren, and Titania heard a ruckus coming from the kitchen that only the mercenaries could make. There was cheering and shouting accompanied by no small amount of arguing, boasting, and teasing. Soren had been right, there was a full pantry and lots of firewood stored for the winter. However, no one had found any people that had been petrified by the Light of Judgment yet. The mercenaries cared little about whatever had happened to the original occupants of the mansion. They were all stuffing their faces with whatever food did not need to be cooked. Bread, cheese, salted meats, and vegetables were quickly disappearing into the mouths of the hungry mercenaries. Mist and Oscar had started a fire and were skewering large chunks of raw meat on a spit. Several of the others joined in around them and stared hungrily as the meat was slowly cooked.

"You had better rein them in before they eat themselves sick," Soren commented offhandedly. A cheer went up from Gatrie and Shinon as they carried a large barrel of beer from the pantry. "You should also save those two idiots from themselves. Unless you want to see two grown men drink themselves into oblivion tonight."

Ike wasn't about to deny Shinon and Gatrie a few drinks. In fact, he wouldn't mind joining them, but he wasn't going to let them get drunk. As for the other mercenaries making themselves sick from eating too much, that actually concerned him. Although, none of them had much to eat in the past few days so in a way they all needed this unexpected feast. Ike went into the pantry, grabbed a wheel of cheese, a few loaves of bread, and went out to join Gatrie and Shinon. Neither man had grabbed any food so they welcomed their commander with a cheer when he sat down. The archer slid Ike a mug. The other mercenaries quickly joined in. When the small table became full the mercenaries found several others and pushed them all together. People sat on whatever they could find. The Greil Army feasted and for a while forgot about the Disciples of Order and the Goddess that threatened to destroy the world. As each person ate their fill they eventually left the table to find a bed to sleep in. Eventually the only people left were Ike, Boyd, Titania, and Soren. They were all about to go to sleep as well when Rafiel burst into the kitchen.

"Ike," the heron prince gasped. "Disciples in the outer house. Please. You must save our friends!"

"Titania, wake the others! Rafiel, wait for the rest of the group. Soren, Boyd, follow me."

Ike rushed out of the kitchen and immediately heard the faint din of fighting and shouting in the distance. He took off down the dark hallways in the direction of the noise. The three mercenaries burst into a large room with a grand staircase leading up several stories with some passageways branching off to either side. At the base of the stairs was the familiar flaming hair of one of Ike's old friends, Tormod. Next to him was a large tiger that could only be Muarim. Ike hadn't the slightest clue who the raven was though.

"Tormod!" Ike called causing the mage and the Disciples to turn and face the newcomers. "Your backup's here!" The mercenaries charged in and made quick work of the Disciples that had surrounded Tormod and his group.

"Much appreciated!" the short mage started with a grin, but stopped short as he took in the full stature of his old friend. "What the… Ike? What happened to you, musclehead? Between you and Sothe I'm really starting to feel inadequate!"

"It's good to see you alive too," Boyd added. Tormod took one look and threw his hands up in exasperation.

"What are you doing here?" Soren asked.

"Finally, someone who didn't turn into a giant!" the red haired mage beamed. "After that big flash of light and everyone being turned to stone, I had this dream. It was really weird, but I just knew that I needed to come here. I guess it was to meet up with you guys."

Everyone turned as they heard the clatter of armor and footsteps approaching. The rest of the mercenaries joined Ike at the bottom of the stairs. Everyone was on foot. Every single one of the mercenaries that Titania had needed to wake up looked ready to rip the nearest enemy to shreds. Tormod took a step back and leaned in to whisper to Ike.

"I forgot how cranky you guys get when someone wakes you from nap time."

"There aren't many of the Disciples of Order here!" Ike began. "Clear them out quickly and we can all get some much needed rest."

The enemy had formed a solid line of soldiers on the top steps of the stairs. The mercenaries quickly formed a wedge with Gatrie at the tip of the spear, Ike behind and to his right, and Boyd behind and to the left. The rest fell in behind. Shinon, Rolf, Soren, and Rhys began flinging spells and arrows at the Disciples as the wedge charged up the stairs. Gatrie slammed into the first rank of enemy soldiers and kept right on going up the stairs until he reached the top. The mercenaries fanned out and began cutting down the Disciples that had tried to defend the stairs. It did not take long before the last one had fallen. More enemy soldiers poured out of rooms near the top of the staircase. A number of Disciples descended from another flight of stairs and threw themselves at the Greil Army. Ike and the two wolves charged to meet this second threat. The large mercenary sidestepped a blow from his first opponent. Volug tackled that man and began tearing at his throat. Ike quickly cut down one Disciple and ran the next one through with Ragnell. Nailah bounded up the stairs to take on whatever Disciples were still up there. Ike pushed the dying man off his sword and followed her with Volug close on his heels. The ground already had several bodies, all belonging to mages, as the two men arrived. The Wolf Queen of Hatari was a true terror. Ike gutted an armored knight before he noticed the arrival of new enemies. Volug tackled another and clawed at the back of the man's head until he was able to rip the helmet off. Then the wolf savaged the man's neck with his fangs and claws.

"Oh my, what is this?" a voice exclaimed and Ike wheeled around to face it. The mercenary was nearly bowled over by a large mass of flesh that he had long thought dead. Oliver stood fretting over and delicately touching Rafiel. "You are the embodiment of beauty little bird! I have never seen a creature nearly as magnificent as you. Why, it would be such a shame if even one feather in your plume were to be ruffled. It would be an absolute calamity if any harm were to befall your porcelain skin. As a true patron of the arts, it is my duty to protect you with my life!"

The whole scene disgusted Ike. He had never liked the fat senator. The two wolves quickly rushed forward snapping and growling, their maws dripping blood. Apparently they didn't think much of Oliver touching the heron prince either. The obese man didn't even seem to notice though. As far as Ike could tell, the man was unarmed and no longer a threat. Therefore he would not kill the disgraced senator. He waved Nailah and Volug back and the grudgingly complied. As the rest of the mercenaries climbed the last flight of stairs they all had similar reactions as the wolves, but Ike simply shook his head.

"Everyone, go get some rest," the large mercenary ordered. "For the time being, and I don't particularly like this either, it seems that ex-senator Oliver will be joining our group. We need all the help we can get no matter how disgusting the package it comes in may be," Ike glanced over the insulted party but the obese man paid him as much attention as he had paid the wolves. "I'll see you all in the morning."

Ike wandered around the mansion until he found an empty room. He stripped his armor off and dropped onto the waiting bed. Four new members had joined the Greil Army: three friends and one old enemy. Against a Goddess and her army of fanatics all help was welcomed.

* * *

**That does it for this chapter. It was a bit on the long side. I hope that all of you still enjoyed it though. You know what to do at this point. Leave a comment about anything that you liked or disliked. I'll be seeing you guys again soon!**


End file.
